


Of Ghosts and Strings

by Midsummer



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts, M/M, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 05:46:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 50,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18424092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midsummer/pseuds/Midsummer
Summary: “Uhm Donghyuck… are you haunting me?”





	Of Ghosts and Strings

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Bloomed For You...](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8707759) by [Meanie_Beanie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meanie_Beanie/pseuds/Meanie_Beanie). 
  * Inspired by [Black Dahlia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838463) by [outrotaekook](https://archiveofourown.org/users/outrotaekook/pseuds/outrotaekook). 



> Even though there are a lot of errors in here may it be grammar or other things but I really can't wait to publish this one since I had written its rough sketch on March.
> 
> Please note that I am not from South Korea and that I do not know about SNU so what I have written down about them is merely a mix of research and my own personal experience on that field like university rooms for example.
> 
> Thanks to my friends too for pitching in their ideas, opinions and corrections. Love you guys!

Jeno lives with Chenle half a year after he got out of living in the dorms provided by the campus at of Seoul University but then the younger got himself a boyfriend slash soulmate—Jeno can’t decide because Chenle said that it will spoil the “fun” whatever that means—and decided to ditch Jeno to live with this aforementioned boyfriend who he had just met three months prior.

Jeno haven’t even met that boyfriend of his.

What happened to the bros before hoes anthem they used to live by the past year? Sure it’s the younger’s boyfriend but Jeno doesn’t deserve to be ditched especially being a broke college student.

Chenle did suggest him to move in with Renjun’s old roommate but Jeno decided against it because he refuses to socialize and familiarize himself with someone new, so he goes to hunting apartments down on his own. He had only three weeks left before he gets kicked out of the apartment he’s currently living in with Chenle or else he’ll be homeless starting from April.

Which… wasn’t going successfully.

Jeno groaned for what was the third time that day as he flopped his body back on to the carpeted floor. His hope on finding a comfortable yet affordable apartment is slowly depleting.

Chenle glanced up to look at him from the magazine he was reading, amused and smiling ever so cockily like the little shit he is at times. “I told you I’ll find you an amazing apartment hyung if you’ll let me help you hyung.”

Jeno pushed his head up slightly, shooting the younger the best glare someone upside down does. “No thank you, you’ll only get me a really classy one that _I_ can’t afford.”

“I told you I’ll find you a cheap one.”

Jeez this kid, doesn’t he know that when someone says “no” it really is a no?

“Your definition of cheap and my definition of cheap are two different things Chenle-ya.”

“But hyung—”

“You mean well I know,” Jeno sat up and smiled at the younger, his glasses sliding down his nose slightly at the sudden movement. Next thing you know it, Chenle will be offering to pay half of Jeno’s rent. This stubborn kid and his infinite kindness.

“But really though you don’t have to. My pride won’t let you or myself get away with it.”

They had a little stare off before Chenle’s lips pulled back into a teasing smile. “So… our no-jam has pride now?”

Jeno snorted and rolled his eyes. “Fuck off kid.”

Chenle laughs. The atmosphere melting down to one of comfort once more. Jeno closed his eyes, relishing in the silence as he lays back down on his back once more on the carpeted floor.

“I think there is someone who might know of a place that you might like hyung.”

Chenle’s not one to give up huh? Jeno’s too tired to argue but at least Chenle wouldn’t persist him on buying a classy suite in a fancy apartment somewhere in Gangnam like the one he is living in now. Well… he hopes the younger understood that. What was the staring off for?

“Hm… who?”

“Lucas-ge. Do you know him? He’s older than us, someone tall and has those kind of guns girls and guys would drool over. Actually you should know him hyung because he’s an international student who majors in aerospace engineering, he’s basically in the same building as you.”

Jeno snorted, what a way to describe the most well-known outgoing person in campus who’s not even that much of a social butterfly considering his broken Korean and shy demeanor when people points out that they know him and yet he doesn’t know them. “How could I not know Lucas after he lost that bet with Jackson-hyung at our first year and proceed to host a party every other week for the whole year as ‘punishment’?”

“Yeah him.” There was a rustling sound and footsteps thudded, Chenle appearing in his peripheral vision. The younger sits beside him, Jeno wordlessly stretched an arm out for the younger to use as a makeshift pillow. Chenle lays down and Jeno lets the younger attach himself to him, pillowing his head on the older’s arm.

Chenle sent him the widest grin ever as they locked eyes. “He’s legendary for doing that on his freaking first year, man’s got balls.”

“Chenle…” Jeno frowned.

“That wasn’t even a curse hyung!”

Jeno made a face. “You do realize I know Lucas right? We used to share a few classes together back in first year.”

“But your phone broke and I don’t think you remember Lucas-ge’s phone number or saved his contact so be thankful that I’m doing you a favor of gaining back the friend who you have lost contact with,” Chenle smiled.

The smile was mocking him, of course it was since when was Chenle not a boasting child.

Jeno pinched the bridge of his nose, his glasses raised from its place at the action. He was getting tired of all of this. He doesn’t have enough energy to stress over this. For now. “Anyways… how does Lucas-hyung knows of a good place?”

“Oh well,” the argument before forgotten, Chenle begins his explanation. “He has a friend whose friends with some people who own apartments.”

“Him and his connections…” Jeno shook his head, impressed. “Well… are they cheap?”

“The price is usually standard even the ones for rent in Gangnam, I swear! If you can look for the right one I know that you’ll find one that is not that expensive here in Gangnam! That way we won’t be that much apart hyung besides most of those apartments allow pets, a bonus don’t you think? You can take Bongsik, Seol or Lal or maybe all of them there to accompany you.”

When Chenle puts it that way….

Jeno’s having a hard time finding an empty apartment in the middle of the semester alone but if someone was finding one for him then, well, he closed his eyes. “I’ll think about it.”

He doesn’t need to look to know Chenle is grinning from ear to ear. “I’ll send Lucas-ge’s contact later then.”

Jeno can’t help the exasperated smile from forming on his face as he took Chenle’s hand in his. Trust Chenle to act as fast as he can whenever he get the approval of something. “I said I’ll think about it, idiot.”

Chenle laughed, the sound resembling a dolphin and momentarily Jeno’s ears feels rigged. “But an ‘I’ll think about it’ from you is a ‘yes’ hyung, we all know that.”

“I’ve never said that though?”

“Well you don’t really have to,” Chenle giggled and Jeno smiled as he shook his head, eyes landing on the red string tied around Chenle’s pinky.

“I do not deserve this disrespect.”

“Since when was I supposed to be respectful to you?”

Jeno pinched him hard on his hip in reply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Jeno got himself an apartment called Tangerine Apartment located in Nakseongdae and not in Gangnam, it didn’t really create much of a difference since Gangnam is only eight minutes away but Jeno is thankful that at least he’s not living in an area where it screams of money and business. Nakseongdae was a lot calmer in so many ways.

The apartment was quite pricey however since he got himself a one bedroom apartment room and not a studio apartment, nonetheless he is thankful towards Chenle and Lucas for helping him out in finding one. Them and their wide network of connections.

Jeno doesn’t understand how they know a lot of people.

Extroverts.

Tangerine Apartment’s a tangerine three-story’s tall apartment, sitting on the edge of the street beside a library café. It was close to a few quite cheap restaurants and diners and there was a small grocery store just across from it. There’s also a park nearby equipped with some exercising instruments where Jeno could work out in. The streets also look good enough for morning runs.

Convenient.

And Jeno moved in and just like any move ins, there were some hectic, panic inducing moments that had happened like how he almost forgot to pack all his engineering books, had a bit of a disagreement with the movers regarding the date and time for the move in, asking his former owner and to-be owner things regarding the apartments, calling his mother to let her know that _yes I can bring pets to the new apartment_ and _can you please take Bongsik with you when you visit here next time?_

He didn’t skip that Monday’s morning lectures for nothing.

It was stressing but in a good way.

Sort of.

But it wasn’t the move in that was peculiar… in fact, it was the things that had happened _afterwards._

“Huh?” For the second time on his first day of unpacking, a day after the move in, Jeno found something misplaced and this time it was finding his blue flashlight underneath the kitchen island when he perfectly remembered placing it on the open glazed overhead cabinet in the kitchen.

Unpacking while university is still going underway with the storm of midterms closing by as the days pass by does stress him and make him do stuff he doesn’t remember at times so he thought it was his own mistakes for things to happen.

And weird things just… happens.

Like that time on his third day of unpacking, when Jeno’s working in putting things in its place in his bedroom, the kitchen tap was suddenly turned on. Not only was it unnecessary, it was wasting good water. Then he finds his missing foldable raincoat under a pillow in the living room.  Jeno’s not one to believe in anything of the supernatural (red strings of fate aside) so lets it be and waits for it to play it out.

But then one day, as he finished folding the big bags he had used in the move inside his bedroom's drawer inside his wardrobe, he saw it.

How he could’ve missed it all this time was beyond him.

But he saw it.

A thin stray string colored in faded red and almost unnoticed white-silver coming from the door, curling underneath his feet and disappearing right back out of his room. Jeno almost missed it completely if it weren’t for the blue socks he was wearing.

Jeno retracts himself back from his wardrobe slowly, not bothering to close it. He takes a small notebook from his study table, ripping out a piece of paper before walking out of his unclosed bedroom door. He saw the weird string getting caught in some sort of knot with its own on some places and one of its end disappears behind the front door.

There!

The weird string’s other end was peeking out from the kitchen entrance.

The thing about having the ability to see the red strings of fate of other people was that he couldn’t see his own. A two-edged sword. So if there was a string… there was someone else other than Jeno in the apartment.

…had Jeno housed a freeloader all this time?

He slowly walked up to the kitchen entrance, crumpling the paper he was clutching with one hand. He backs up against the wall near the kitchen entrance. There’s no shadows so maybe the person or persons are hiding somewhere in the kitchen?

He bends himself to his knees and threw the crumpled paper out into the kitchen for a test run.

A few seconds passed by when the paper was thrown back and landed right in front of him.

Jeno froze, stunned in shock.

So there is someone…

He took deep breathes, getting up slowly to his full height, readying himself for whatever that will come and counted down slowly to three.

Please let it not be a criminal please let it not be a criminal.

“Hey!”

Jeno was met with a startled boy around his age sitting on one of the stools surrounding the island.

The two of them stared at each other for a minute before Jeno screams, loud and shrilly, as he backs away from the kitchen and into the safety of the living room, hiding behind the couch.

_:Fuck, sorry! I didn’t mean to shock you or anything, fuck!:_

Jeno peeks his head out of the couch, his sturdy shield just in case anything goes south and he has to make a run for it, wearily looking at the stranger.

There was something wrong with the boy. He looks normal, so normal with sheepish dark brown eyes, pink lips, brown hair that was being tousled by his own hand, tan skin wearing a red and white cotton jacket, jeans and sneakers. He would’ve looked so normal if it weren’t for the fact that his form looked kind of pale and had some sort of an eerie glow. As if he’s corporeal. Not real and somehow blends in just right with all the colors surrounding him like his red string coiled around his pinky and weirdly his arm.

No wonder Jeno didn’t notice the string beforehand. It had looked almost… invincible.

“W-Who are you?”

_:The name’s Lee Donghyuck. You?:_

“I’m Jeno,” Jeno feels stupid for blurting out his name to the stranger. Way to give your name out to your killer before he kills you.

Donghyuck nodded. _:Nice to meet you Jeno.:_

“L-Likewise…?”

Well Jeno’s confused as fuck.

Donghyuck snorted and Jeno suddenly feels like he’s talking to those sassy friends he has because wow, Donghyuck has just as much attitude as them.

“Uhm…” Jeno slowly got out of his hiding place to stand beside the couch, putting a hand on the arm rest just in case. “Why are you here…?” Because Jeno doesn’t remember getting a roommate or anything close to sharing the same living space as someone since his owner had told him that he had the whole place to himself.

_:This is my apartment idiot,:_ Donghycuk folded his arms on his chest. _:Well… before I died at least,:_ he lamented with a shrug.

Wait a minute, the fuck.

“So… you’re a ghost?”

Donghyuck had the audacity to roll his eyes. _:Brilliant observation skills Sherlock.:_

Jeno ignores the sarcastic jibe, his mind whirring back to those episodes of ghosts appearing in animes that he had watched. “So like… are you haunting this place because you were killed brutally and violently and is off on a grand mission of sort to scare me the hell away from here so you can extract revenge on those who wronged you or do you have some sort of unfinished business and want my help in fixing whatever it is?”

Donghyuck actually took a while to reply, face contemplative, hand rubbing on his chin resembling those old sages in animes. _:The revenge part not really but unfinished business... I don’t think so unless you can pay my students loan debt unless it’s the personal debt I have you’re talking about because I do remember that chocolate bar I stole from a friend. Does that count?:_

“I’m sure your parents or any of your relatives is handling that right now and… uhm, that’s stealing so I don’t think it works like that.”

_:Figures,:_ Donghyuck waved him off. _:Which makes up go back to your previous question, why on Earth am I here? Well lighten me up about what the dead does then because even_ I _as a ghost myself have no fucking idea why I am here right now.:_

Jeno felt an incoming headache. He glances at his bedroom door, remembering his unfinished packing. “How about… dealing with this later?”

Donghyuck made a waving motion as if to say _fine by me._

_:Can I watch TV though?:_

Jeno thinks he’s going crazy because he’s talking to a ghost and said ghost wants to watch something on TV right now, going so far as complaining that Jeno hadn’t turned the thing on since he moved in. Questions stormed his mind.

“Do you even know what’s on TV nowadays?” he asked instead.

Genius.

He is going fucking mad.

Donghyuck snickered. _:Moron. I died three months ago not three decades ago so I know what goes on TV. Doesn’t my modern attire say so?:_

Jeno shrugged, well he’s got a point. “Fine, whatever, just keep it down okay? I need to finish cleaning up my room then I’ll be working on a paper that I prefer to finish today.”

_:Gotcha school prez,:_ Donghyuck saluted and sauntered over to sit on the couch.

Jeno doesn’t even want to know how Donghyuck knows he was a school president back in high school. He prays it was just a mere pun fun, pure undiluted coincidence.

“Uhm Donghyuck… are you haunting me?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno scowled, hands on his hips, eyes glaring at the bubbly mess in front of him. “Hyuck did you happen to like, I don’t know, open the washing machine while it was turned on?”

There was a light weight of hands pressing against his back and someone’s chin hooked on his right shoulder and he didn’t need to look to know it was Donghyuck peeking over his shoulder to look at the aforementioned mess in the washing machine area of the kitchen.

_:Huh… I don’t think I did it,:_ Donghyuck said. Too easily, too nonchalantly, too unbothered.

Jeno’s scowl deepened. “Then who was it who opened the washing machine and let _all_ of those bubbles out because I certainly know that _I_ didn’t do it being busy doing my paper and all the past four hours.”

They were only a few days into their sharing space life together and Jeno knew, from the times he had observe Donghyuck, that the latter was a great liar.

_:I might’ve opened it for my science curiousity.:_ Donghyuck admitted, voice still in that unrepentant tone.

Jeno felt his eye twitch.

He turned to direct his glare at the ghost who had an unrepentant smile on his face, face too bright for someone who was guilty of a crime.

_:Aw don’t make that face Jeno it doesn’t fit you,:_ Donghyuck pouted and reached over with what little space they have, to pull the edges of the other’s lips into a weird smile. Donghyuck’s eyes squinted, lips curling to hold his laughter. _:It needs a little bit more of a charm but I’m sure you have plently right eye smile boy?:_

Jeno slapped those ghostly hands from his face, glaring holes at Donghyuck. “Donghyuck, clean the mess up.”

Donghyuck made a funny face instead, the _nerve_ but then seeing how the ghost’s face was twisted into a weird mix of facial expressions, somewhere between a puking face and a choking one, Jeno chortled into a laugh.

The ghost grinned and kept on making funny faces whenever Jeno’s pissed at him because he knows Jeno’s weakness now.

When week two (not really since its only Tuesday though it is technically the second week) of Jeno spending his life living in the same space with a ghost, it had morphed into some sort of weird normalcy.

Donghyuck is a great roommate and doesn’t bother Jeno when Jeno’s studying or when he’s in balls deep in some sort of project, even going as far as helping him when he feels like it. He takes care of the cooking in the apartment ever since Jeno made a too salty miso soup, it wasn’t even Jeno’s fault because it was his first try in making miso soup but Donghyuck wouldn’t let him near anything cooking material unless he says so.

Donghyuck does bother him however, from time to time because he’s quote unquote “bored and unentertained” like scaring people on the elevators or messing with Jeno’s guests (Jinyoung doesn’t ever want to come back when Donghyuck grabbed his leg from underneath the coffee table that one time) or Jeno himself.

Well, only Jeno could see him so Jeno doesn’t blame him for it.

But it’s still kind of bizarre and mind blowing because before anything else Donghyuck is a fucking ghost.

…and can’t seem to let Jeno live in peace with the knowledge.

“Don’t do it!” Jeno hissed for like the umpteenth time when Donghyuck once again tries to scare the shit out of his group partner for a project.

Donghyuck is sitting cross legged next to YangYang who was busy typing away on his laptop, making his and Jeno’s report on an assignment. Donghyuck just had to be a little shit and pokes YangYang from time to time just to get a reaction out of him because other than annoying Jeno, Donghyuck loves to scare the shit out of his guests the most.

YangYang paid him no mind though, eyes and fingers too focused on perfecting the group project to pay mind to whatever is poking him.

Or maybe he didn’t notice it all together but anyways he’s not making any reaction.

Which bothers Donghyuck because now Donghyuck has this plan to run his hand on YangYang’s back, something he likes to do to catch Jeno’s attention or when he feels like being a little shit.

Donghyuck giggled, fucking giggles like someone had just given him the best treat ever.

“I think I’m going to finish the report later at my place,” Yangyang spoke up and Jeno had to divert his attention. “When’s the deadline again?”

“This Friday before midnight,” Jeno replied. “But are you sure you can do all of that alone?”

YangYang grinned and sets his laptop aside on the table. “You know I have nothing to do since I don’t join any organizations or club or do any part-time jobs. You’re going to tutor again right this Friday?”

Jeno begrudgingly admits. “Yes…”

“See?” YangYang’s grin widened, “I don’t want to burden you with this and from what I’ve heard, Hyun is quite a handful.”

Donghyuck’s awfully quiet. Jeno chances a quick glance his way and Donghyuck give him the you-didn’t-tell-me-about-this glare. Jeno winces, opening his mouth to continue the conversation he has with YangYang because if he suddenly stops it’s suspicious.

“Well I’m not teaching her this Friday because her family’s taking her out so I’m just teaching Jisung.”

YangYang perked up at that. “Wait, Jisung? The one who lives-just-a-floor-below-you-Jisung?”

“Yeah, so it’s really not a burden if you make me do the rest of it or at least the conclusion,” Jeno said, trying to make an argument but he knows he fails to make his point because YangYang is shaking his head.

YangYang if anything, was an insistent and stubborn prick. It’s a good and bad thing about him, depending on the situation and what position you’re in. “No, Jeno, I’m not letting you do this when you’ve got a lot to think about.”

“It’s not like I’m that busy! I only tutor three times a week and have basketball practices on other days!” Jeno argued, trying to get the other to see his point because he wasn’t really that busy and teaching wasn’t really that hard. Seriously!

YangYang rolled his eyes. “And all those organization events you get yourself involved in at times, don’t forget to add that.”

“It’s not like there is any with midterms happening next week!”

YangYang’s not having it with the way he puts his hands on his ears and singing “lalalalala” at the top of his lungs to draw out Jeno’s voice.

_:You suck at negotiating,:_ Donghyuck shoot him a pitiful look then shook his head as if disappointed.

The corner of Jeno’s eye twitched, why on Earth is he friends with these guys again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wardrobe creaked open, Jeno observed the clothes hanged inside carefully while Donghyuck sprawled on his bed and using his phone as entertainment.

_:Jeno who’s this?:_ Donghyuck showed him a picture of Jeno and a blonde guy in Jeno’s old high school uniform, posing wildly in front of the camera.

Jeno smiled sadly at the picture. “My best friend,” he told the other.

Donghyuck raised an eyebrow, surprised. _:Really? But you never invite him here before! I only see YangYang’s boring face nowadays…:_

Jeno flicked Donghyuck’s forehead. “That’s because you’re going to scare him away,” he said. It wasn’t really a lie after what happened to Jinyoung but it wasn’ really the truth either. “He’s busy and he’s in another major.”

_:I see you talk with kids other than your major friends in social media,:_ Donghyuck shook his head then threw his hands in the air. _:Well whatever! Not my business!:_

Good thing he’s leaving it at that and not venturing further into that subject. Jeno’s not really in the mood to talk about Felix with anyone as of the moment.

“Uhm Hyuck… do you ever wonder why you’re here?” Jeno asked as a change of subject.

Donghyuck who’s scrolling through Jeno’s gallery shrugged in reply.

Jeno picked out a navy denim jacket from his wardrobe, putting it over his yellow t-shirt. Denim looks good in anything really “So like… you never thought about it?”

_:Not bothered to,:_ Donghyuck replied as Jeno turned to him. He showed Jeno a picture of him and Chenle sitting side to side and posing for the camera on his old bed in his old apartment. _:You know him?:_

“Chenle? He used to be my apartmentmate, if that makes sense,” Jeno screwed his eyebrows in disgust at the word he just made up. “Why?”

Donghyuck shrugged, eyes unreadable as he goes back to scroll through Jeno’s phone, now he’s going through Jeno’s social media accounts.

_:When you’re out don’t forget to buy the candies Hyun likes,:_ Donghyuck reminded him as he clicks on Chenle’s instagram account and scroll through his feed.

“I will,” Jeno nodded.

Ever since YangYang brought the topic out about his tutoring sessions with two kids one on his last year of high school and the other who’s still in third grade, Donghyuck had been insistent on helping him—though he claims it not to be helping but merely “messing around because he’s bored” and that Jeno is “terrible at handling kids,” which was fucking weird because he was never there when Jeno goes to tutor the kids—and giving him exceptionally good pointers on how to handle a child.

Now Jeno knows what to do when Hyun makes a fuss or when Jisung claims that he doesn’t “feel” like studying. He has some sort of system going on with the two of them now and it’s nice to know that those two kids are now getting along with him better.

Hyun had always loved a certain brand of candy and Jeno had promised her to buy her that candy if she is to pass with flying colors on her math and science tests and going by the confidence Hyun exerted and the result of the mock tests Jeno gave her, she was going to best her everyone in the upcoming tests.

_:Told you she would’ve made you make her do a mock test, she’s a confident little bean after all,:_ Donghyuck grinned and wordlessly handed Jeno’s phone over to the owner when Jeno outstretched his hand.

“She’s getting ambitious now, I’m frightened because it’s your influence and not mine,” Jeno sighed, slipping his phone inside his back pocket.

_:But she doesn’t know that and that’s the most fun part of everything,:_ Donghyuck giggled and Jeno had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes. Donghyuck sounded like those masterminds in TV programs.

“Anyway, I’m going.”

If living with Donghyuck taught him anything it was that the ghost never lets him off that easily, ever. _:Look at our no-jam going out and having fun after a long week of midterm! So cute! Have fun!:_

“I said I’m going!”

Since Chenle is busy being gross and all that mushy fuzzy stuff with his boyfriend, Jeno’s hanging out with that one single friend of his so they could be single and enjoy the damn day and not think about anything other than _finally the midterms ended!_

And they had fun screwing around in 127, the blue and yellow modern-looking building just a few streets away from Jeno’s apartment, where university students and high schoolers usually go to for arcade games and bowling matches. The two of them then headed to the nearest fast food place they can find.

Just as they were finishing up their meal, Jeno blurted out the first words formed in his mind.

“What do ghosts do?”

“What do ghosts do?” YangYang made a face as he slurped his smoothie loudly. Jeno instantly regretted saying that out loud.

“Have some manners will you? That’s too loud.”

YangYang grinned, unrepentant. “Well anyways, back to your question: what do the dead do?”

“Ghosts,” Jeno’s always the quick one to correct. “What do ghosts do.”

“Our world might be a bit supernatural with all this soulmate thing and that freaky ability of yours to see the red strings of fate but we don’t really have zombies and ghosts floating around… quite tragic I must say,” YangYang pouted.

Jeno holds himself back from mentioning Donghyuck because well… he’s not going around telling people he has a freeloader in the form of a ghost. YangYang might be a close friend of his and finds these things intriguing but Jeno really just wants to keep this a secret from everyone he knows. For now at least.

“But anyways, from the animes, mangas, cartoons, webtoons, movies and TV series I’ve watched… ghosts usually stay in the world of the living because they have some unfinished business to attend.”

“Like?”

YangYang made a universal gesture of a wavev with one hand that either means _whatever_ or _everything._ “Debt, revenge, anything that has to do with the world of the living really. And from I’ve watched and read…” YangYang slammed his smoothie down on the table, face oddly serious. “Those matters are to be attended if they want to cross over to the afterlife.”

A beat of silence ensued.

“Or so I’ve heard anyways…” YangYang’s back to slurping his smoothie, pigging out the drink like a hungry wolf. “They turn into monsters too you know if they’re here for too long,” he said.

Oh Jeno knows that reference.

“You were watching Bleach before this right?”

YangYang shrugged his shoulders. “Why not? Midterms was killing me… had to blow off some steam.”

But Jeno doubts that Donghyuck’s going to turn into some sort of monster and feast on him. He might act all tough, high and mighty but Jeno knows he’s a legit softie inside. Donghyuck often coos whenever the animal or baby program comes up and Jeno might caught him crying over the series he told Jeno he won’t cry on.

“What’s the question for Jen?”

Caught.

Jeno tried to act nonchalant. “Well you know… was just curious.”

YangYang made a face, clearly unconvinced and refuse to buy Jeno’s bullshit. “We all know you won’t ask something unless its of importance, don’t lie to me Jeno. We’ve been each other for two almost three years together now.”

Jeno swallowed and averted his eyes, curse himself for being such a great liar.

The sarcasm.

“Well…”

“Table number four?” A quirky voice interrupted their conversation and bought Jeno some time. YangYang nodded, throwing the waitress a small smile as Jeno heaved a sigh of relief. The waitress served YangYang the hamburger and fries he ordered for take-out.

“Thank you,” YangYang smiled once more and the waitress bowed before going her way. Jeno leaned over the table, grabbing the brown paper bag and takes a piece of fry. YangYang protested but lets him eat it anyways. If he really didn’t want Jeno to eat it he would’ve fought for it, shows how much importance food is sometimes to him.

“I was just wondering…” Jeno smiled because he knows better than to deflect the conversation, YangYang would be giving him hell for it. “If there’s some ghost animes or movies you’ll recommend to me? Midterms are over and I _really_ don’t want to waste my time on moping my grades.”

The grin YangYang sent him was blinding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**_YangYang [3:10]_ **

_Forgot to tell you yesterday but you should totally come to the free for public class U-studios is going to hold this evening!_

**_Jeno [3:20]_ **

_Why aren’t you sleeping_

**_YangYang [3:22]_ **

_Why aren’t you dumbass_

**_Jeno [3:23]_ **

_I’m watching doofus_

**_YangYang [3:23]_ **

_My recs?_

**_Jeno [3:23]_ **

_I’ll see you tomorrow morning_

**_YangYang [3:24]_ **

_Enjoy your watching then hyung~!_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_:Where you going with those panda eyes Jeno?:_

Jeno looked up just as he closed his bedroom’s door, finding Donghyuck staring at him from his spot on the couch’s arm rest. _:You’re oddly dressed for a weekend morning after binge watching animes late into the night with me.:_

“And you’re oddly up early in the morning eating an energy bar,” Jeno retorted. Donghyuck might be a ghost but he still sleeps at times even though he claimed that he doesn’t really need to sleep but then he might as well sleep because it was boring with no entertainment around and the TV could only do so much.

Donghyuck shrugged and Jeno walked up to him, grabbing the energy bar from the ghost’s hand and biting down on it. Donghyuck frowned, snatching the bar from Jeno’s hold just as the other was about to get his second bite. _:Get one yourself, you have legs that can take you to the kitchen.:_

Jeno waved it off. “Nah I already ate breakfast.”

Donghyuck glared. _:Then don’t steal my breakfast asshole.:_

“Well I’m heading out now,” Jeno swiveled around and head towards the door.

_:Wait Jeno!:_ Arms warped around his middle as a pair of lips gobsmacked a loud kiss on his cheek.

“Oh my God, Donghyuck!” Jeno’s cheeks blazed as he quickly pulled himself away from Donghyuck.The ghost has this freaky habit of kissing him at unexpected moments and its so embarrassing to be taken off guard all the time. “Don’t just kiss me out of the blue!”

_:If it makes you feel better I will never kiss your lips or your—:_

“I’M OUT!”

U-studios, or it’s official name United-studios, was a studio located just a few streets away from Jeno’s new apartment dedicated in teaching various dances was holding a free class for the public that evening and when Jeno arrived to where the black and blue modern-looking building stood, he was caught into this sense of awe about how breath-taking the architect of the building was.

He was no expert in architecture, hell he’s not even majoring in that, but the sharp edges, sleek surface and glinting windows where the sunlight bounced from was unique and elegant in a way.

“Jeno-hyung?”

Jeno swerved around to the source of the voice, eyes widened in surprise to find who it was standing just two steps away. He pulled down the mask that was covering his mouth, eyes wide. “Jisung!?”

Jisung, the brown-haired high school student who Jeno teaches three times a week, was standing there clad in a black shirt, black jacket, black jogger pants and black sneakers holding a phone on his hand as he stared at Jeno with surprise.

“Woah, did you two plan to match?” the black-haired teen beside Jisung exclaimed, wonder in his eyes.

Jeno dumbly checked himself out, ducking his head down to look at what he was wearing. Black shirt under a black jacket, pants and sneakers.

“We are oddly in uniform,” Jeno parroted the black-haired friend of Jisung’s statement as he slowly looked up at the two high school teenagers in front of him. “But, I didn’t know you would come here Jisung,” he pointed out.

“He always comes here hyung ever since he discovered this place,” the black-haired teen informed him with a grin. “The two owners of U is quite fond of Jisung now, they might as well adopt him.”

“Sam!”

Jeno quirked an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips at the flustered expression on Jisung’s face. It’s refreshing to see this side of his student who always complains, whine and burn him at their tutoring sessions. “Is that true?” he asked, directing the question right at Jisung.

Jisung’s face flush redder to his amusement. “Hyung!”

“Jeno!” YangYang skidded to a halt, almost toppling himself on Jeno, hair wild and weat running down his forehead.

Jeno gave his friend a glance, giving the boy a shake of his head and a sigh at how tousled his friend looked who had probably ran all the way to there from the bus stop. YangYang’s tendency to be such a latecomer precedes anyone’s expectations. It’s amusing and exasperating at the same time.

“You really need to be on time one of these days YangYang,” Jeno smiled drily as YangYang panted, putting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “Give it a try, it will save you some breath and energy I’m sure,” he jibed.

YangYang raised a hand, took a huge breath and straightened his back. “Screw hah you,” he panted. “I swear I was out of my house fifteen minutes earlier!”

“I bet you got distracted by that neighbor of yours again that you stared at him like some kind of creep for a few minutes which led us to your current predicament of being late.”

YangYang groaned loudly, covering his face with his hands. “I hate this side of you Jeno! Give me back the old no-jam Jeno who doesn’t know how to talk back!”

Jeno rolled his eyes, decidedly ignoring his friend and turning back to the two teenagers who were standing there watching them. “When is this free dance class starting?” he asked casually, putting a hand in his pocket.

“Ah! We’re gonna be late!” Jisung’s friend gasped. “Come on Jisung, Jeno-hyung and uuh Jeno-hyung’s friend!”

Jeno grabbed YangYang’s wrist because his friend was too busy lamenting on life to notice that the two high schoolers hand already went ahead of them. “Come on YangYang,” he said and jogged, trying to catch up to the two admittedly fast teenagers, not caring if he’s going to have to drag his friend all the way to where the free class was held. He could care less about

YangYang groaned as he let Jeno drag him all the way to one of the dancing rooms inside U-studios. Moaning in pain as he snatched his hand from Jeno’s grip. “You’ve got an iron grip man, control it!” he scowled as he glared at his friend.

“I’m sorry your highness,” Jeno rolled his eyes. “But if I hadn’t drag you along, we would’ve lost those two kids and I don’t know where the free class was held since you were too busy being a stupid idiot.”

YangYang scowled, having no comeback to that. He then swept his eyes around the large dancing room where thirty people or so were gathered, mirrors placed on two sides of the room with bright lights lighting up the room. He noticed Jisung and his friend walking up to them and jutted his chin at them to Jeno.

Jeno smiled at the two boys. “You two shouldn’t have run off like that,” he scolded lightly. “I didn’t know where the room was, I almost got lost with that baggage over there.”

“Hey!”

Jisung and his friend were polite to hold their laughter behind their hands.

“Oh yeah, we haven’t met before,” Jisung said as he gave YangYang a polite smile. “I’m Park Jisung and this is my friend Kim Sameul hyung. Nice to meet you hyung.”

“Likewise,” YangYang grinned, shaking both Jisung and Sameul’s hands in turns. “I’m Liu YangYang and yes that’s the name my mother gave me which wasn’t a nickname at first but then it turn into one because well people find it easier to say it then make up another nickname for me and well why not?” he shook his shoulder in a shrug, grin nonchalant.

Jeno sighed, holding himself back from pressing his fingers on the bridge of his nose because really YangYang do you have to do that?

“You guys come here often?” YangYang asked, tilting his head slightly, wide grin maintained.

“We do,” Samuel replied enthusiastically. “Ever since we discovered this place two weeks ago we’ve come here almost every weekend possible.”

YangYang folded his arms on his chest, nodding his head sagely at the answer. “Good! U-studios is best at giving dance lesson around here especially if you want to improve your dancing skills. Jeno here might not look like it but he’s really talented in dancing but well maybe not as good as me but yeah he’s good enough.”

Jisung was looking at him with some sort of new light in those brown eyes of his. “Really hyung?”

Jeno felt the tell-tale of a blush forming. “A-ah I’m not—”

YangYang shoved his by the shoulder lightly, taking over the conversation and answering in his place. “He won’t ever admit it to anyone but he sneaks in here with me from time to time since our freshmen year in uni,” he told the two.

With Felix too, Jeno added mentally, smiling wistfully.

“Though we rarely come here ever since our second year started.”

“Let’s dance together someday then hyung,” Jisung smiled.

Jeno’s face cracked into a smile as he looked at Jisung. “Yeah…”

The loud chattering around them died down as the door opened and a person walked in who looked too young to teach but Jeno, knows just by the way he carry himself and his body build, he was a dancer who’s not supposed to be underestimated.

If Jeno’s memory served him right, the brunet was called Mark.

Jeno glanced at YangYang who had patted incessantly on his shoulder. “What is it?” he asked, voice low so that he won’t be bothering Mark who was introducing himself to the people in front of the room

“You really stayed up all night watching?” YangYang whispered. Jeno nodded to which YangYang frowned disapprovingly at. “I don’t know what you’re trying to get from watching animes with ghosts in them. I know you won’t do something this stupid if it wasn’t for something you’re so keen on achieving.”

Jeno’s not going to be saying that it was about wanting to understand why on Earth a ghost was living with him in his apartment. He would’ve been labelled crazy by YangYang and that was saying something considering the shenanigans YangYang pulls at him from time to time in the years they have been friends.

“I just want to understand something,” he told the other.

YangYang’s frown deepened. “What is it that you need to understand that you have to sacrifice your good sleep for? Can’t you just ask about it directly?”

“That’s the thing,” Jeno pursed his lips. “I can’t just _ask_ it directly.”

“What is it about the ghosts that you need to know so much?”

“It-its not about the ghosts… its about someone actually who uhm likes ghosts,” Jeno said, lying through his teeth about Donghyuck but it was kinda the truth too. Kinda. “I want to ask this person about something but I’m… I don’t want to ask them about it.”

“I don’t understand how watching ghosts animes have to do with any of this but…”  A sigh left his friend’s lips. “Jeno… sometimes you just have to ask. Making assumptions of things and theorizing things won’t you get you anywhere except for speculations upon speculations. You’re just going to keep on guessing and that’s not going to even going to satisfy yourself.”

Jeno averted his eyes, remembering just how nonchalant Donghyuck’s been living his life with Jeno for the past few weeks as if being a ghost doesn’t affect him one bit. Maybe it didn’t. Maybe it does. And that ‘does’ possibility was what bothering Jeno.

Jeno just wants to get the bottom of this.

“But I really… don’t want to.”

“You have to Jeno, muscle up man,” YangYang punched his shoulder lightly as if hitting a small fly. “It might be scary to ask about it but who knows? Maybe it’s what they need to be asked this whole time.”

Jeno pursed his lips but said nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donghyuck watched him from the side, spinning Jeno’s glasses mindlessly with his finger on the table. _:Something’s bother you and it’s not that book of Introduction to Thermodynamics…:_

Jeno hummed under his breath, jotting a few notes on the side of his thick book. “Well, enlighten me about it then.”

_:You’ve always hated it when I demanded to borrow your glasses, you’re working with the TV on for once and you didn’t even flinch when I hugged you from behind and gob smacked a kiss on your neck. Are you getting used to my presence or something?:_

Jeno smiled and looked up from his book, “you could say that. It’s a weird kind of normalcy to be honest. Seeing the red string was weird enough and now being able to see you is like… overwhelming?”

Why did that came out like a question.

Donghyuck frowned. _:Why can’t we just stay whelmed?:_

“Sorry?”

Donghyuck waved his hand, _:Inside joke. But anyways… why can’t living with a ghost be normal? We stayed roommates for like what three weeks going to our fourth week now since tomorrow’s Monday, what’s the problem with that?:_

Jeno placed his book on the coffee table, knowing this conversation would be going for a long time. “Because it’s not supposed to be something normal. You’re a ghost and ghosts are no offence—” “none taken” “—dead and like you have no business for being here so…”

_:Back to square one huh?:_

Jeno’s frustrated but tries to keep a level head about it. Donghyuck can be a pain the ass when he feels like it. “Okay then, let me change the question instead,” Donghyuck hummed as Jeno tried to rack a question from his brain.

Come on, come on, he didn’t watch those animes about dead people for nothing. Especially with YangYang’s recommendation which were really gory ones. Aside from the animes, the memory of talking to YangYang in a public free dance class resurfaced on his mind.

_(“It might be scary to ask about it but who knows? Maybe it’s what they need to be asked this whole time.”)_

“How did you die?”

Jeno flinched, feel himself reeling back from the question he had asked. Not only was it insensitive, it was also personal. From what he had watched ghosts usually have a history on how they died, it being their cause for becoming ghosts. He was so focused on his intrusion and worrying pissing Donghyuck he didn’t see how the ghost had actually winced.

“U-Uhm I’m sorry—”

_:My soulmate didn’t want to do anything with me so I did him a favor,:_ Donghyuck said, cutting whatever Jeno was about to say, voice devoid of any emotion. The string around Donghyuck’s pinky pulsed just a bit brighter for a second, if Jeno wasn’t paying attention he would’ve missed it.

Donghyuck lifted his head up to, eyes distant yet cold, expression unreadable but a dry humorless smile is placed on his face.

_Shit._

Jeno didn’t even think about the possibility that Donghyuck died of hanahaki.

_:But oh well it’s in the past, nothing to worry about,:_ Donghyuck grinned with a wave of his hand, his string of fate gave a light pulse once more.

Jeno swallowed, feeling the guilt seeping through his bones. Donghyuck saw it, of course, he had been so easily adapting himself to Jeno and his traits, and reached over the distance to give Jeno’s shoulder a squeeze. Was Jeno really that easy to read?

_:Don’t worry about it Jen, not like it bothered me anymore,:_ Donghyuck reassured but Jeno knows those were blatant lies that he tells to comfort himself more than Jeno. _:I’m going to get some air,:_ Donghyuck gave him a brief hug, kissed his cheek, gets up from his seat and walked away.

_:It’s not your fault.:_

Jeno closed his book, not being able to focus on anything after that. He spied Donghyuck sitting on the ledge of the window, enjoying the breeze.

He refrained from going up to the other, decided that the two of them need their own space for now so he heads back to his room.

In the safety walls of his bedroom, Jeno took off his shirt, dropping it on his bed and walked over to the mirror attached to the wardrobe. He stares at his reflection, more accurately at the words written just on his right collarbone’s wing in a handwriting he doesn’t recognize. Words that had been tattooed on to his skin ever since he was little.

_‘You’re beautiful too_ ,’ it says, something so simple. A lovely compliment, something everyone says to Jeno at one point of their life because Jeno if anything is handsome but if it came from his soulmate’s mouth Jeno knows it would mean more than those passing compliments people have said.

Soulmate marks comes in different forms, some have words written in some part of their body, some have drawings, an insignia only two or more soulmates have, some even have marks of sort where their soulmates would touch them. Some soulmates don’t have marks or words on their skin but share the same skin-of sort because Jeno remembered having this classmate of his who keeps on getting scrapes from where his soulmate had when said soulmate fell from the stairs. They could communicate to each other by writing on their skin too, it’s cool. Some people have their vision of colors disappear, either a specific color or all of them altogether, when they reach a certain age and would gain back their vision of those colors when they meet their soulmates. Some people, a minority of them, have only the red string of fate around their pinky fingers and that would be the only clue they have on their soulmates. The catch is that they won’t be able to see their string until they see their soulmate.

And the red string of fate was the only common thing to have by everyone although not everyone had the ability to see them, only a very small number of people, estimated about only three people, have the ability from the whole world population.

And Jeno was one of them.

It’s kind of weird how the universe made the clue of ever finding his soulmate were words written on his skin.

“I’ve been using weird a lot lately,” Jeno muttered under his breath. To be fair, his life has been weird as of late…

Jeno runs his finger on the words written on his skin, mind wandering off into the distant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hey Jeno!”

Jeno squinted his eyes behind his glasses, somehow frowning because someone decided to crash on his study session. His eyes widened them when he saw who it was sitting comfortably nursing an iced coffee on the seat across from him in the café. “L-Lucas!?”

Lucas grinned, running a hand through his blonde hair. Last Jeno saw the older had brown hair and that was a very long time ago. “Been a long time since we saw each other right?”

Jeno closed the book in front of him, he can study later anyways. He raised his head up to look at Lucas, a grin forming on his lips. “Last time I heard you got yourself a soulmate,” Jeno mused, pushing his glasses back to its proper position on the bridge of his nose.

Lucas burst into laughter, looking away from Jeno but Jeno had already seen the blush forming on his friend’s cheeks to know that the other is quite shy about this topic. “Oh come on Jeno that’s a long time ago!”

Jeno grinned, loving how his tease hits a spot. “Last year and all but still some great times besides… I like getting that type of reaction from you,” he told the other.

Lucas shook his head. “This is all Chenle’s influence wasn’t it? How come his attitude is rubbing off on you even when he’s not living in the same place as you anymore? I miss the old Jeno,” he dabbed his cheeks with his fingers with downturned lips, the exaggerator.

Jeno rolled his eyes. Chenle might not be in the same vicinity as him, well not as much as he used to, but Donghyuck was and Donghyuck was a force of nature itself but Lucas doesn’t need to know that. And even though that…

“Hey! I might not be sassy most of the time but I am human! I like to tease people too!”

“But it just got worse with Chenle being around,” Lucas said with a pout. “The little shit’s got more influence in the U-base lately and it’s clearly bogging me off.”

That’s a lie, everyone loves Chenle even those people who frequently hang around the dance studio just to dance their hearts away. Chenle brags about the things he’s received from them after all. Jeno knows a few of them so he knows them just as good as anyone from there does. They’re all fond of their youngest.

“How’s everyone by the way?”

Lucas tilted his head and suddenly laughed. “Oh you mean the guys from U?” he asked and when he received a nod from Jeno, his face brightened up like the sun. “They’re great! We just adopted a new kid actually since Taeyong’s fond of him.”

Jeno picked his abandoned cup of caramel macchiato. “Who?” he asked and winced at the taste of his now-cold coffee, the warm drink had after all turned cold and has a weird taste clinging to it now that it had separated.

Lucas hummed in thought as Jeno stirred his drink, trying to get the coffee to blend with one another once more. “Someone going by the name Xiao Dejun who lives in the same boarding house I recently moved into… which reminds me you know YangYang right?”

Jeno raised an eyebrow.

This was definitely something he wasn’t expecting.

“Woah… you know YangYang?”

“I live in the same place as him, how can I not know him?” Lucas crinkled his nose with a laugh. “What else did you think? Oh we bonded over dancing and he said something how you and him like to sneak into U! Coicidence don’t you think? Us all coming into one because of U! But then again the U in U-studios stands for United after all!” Lucas grinned. “Oh and while we’re at it, Chenle suggest we call ourselves something…”

Jeno huffed a smile.

Typical of Chenle.

“Huh really? What do you think he would like to call you guys?”

“He proposed NCT, Neo Culture Technology or something like that. He said that since we’re divided into different groups of sort we have to have subunits and I don’t really understand what he had came up with regarding to that but if Haechan was there I know he would be the most vocal about backing him up on it, Jungwoo thinks its cute, everyone else is either okay or really but we all know that the decision’s up to Taeyong in the end,” Lucas smiled, eyes somehow wistful. He shook his head and grinned at Jeno. “Why don’t you join us, Jen?”

Jeno hesitated. “But wasn’t it like full already? Like how many of you are there?”

“Eleven-ish I guess?” Lucas shrugged as if that number wasn’t overwhelming to him one bit. “I mean sure it’s quite a number but all we do is dance and have fun in studio number nine. Sure some of the guys like Taeyong, Ten, me and some disappears to teach a lesson or two in other rooms but hey it’s all good. We work in an odd way really.”

You don’t say…

Jeno smiled, despite himself. “You guys really are just freelance dancers? Don’t you want to, I don’t know, join competitions as a group?”

Lucas shrugged. “Don’t know man but maybe we will someday... But for now, we’re at a disarray of sort.”

Internal problems, Jeno’s mind supplied slyly as he nodded his head slowly.

Lucas knows a lot of people and often gets involved in lots of organization events. It’s nice to have such a lively life but Jeno knows he doesn’t belong in that kind of spotlight, it’s too much for his introvert self to handle.

“U-Uhm Lucas… do you happen to know who Lee Donghyuck is?”

Lucas looked surprised, giving Jeno this odd expression before answering. “You do realize that Haechan and Lee Donghyuck is the same person right?”

Jeno’s eyes widened. “For real? I didn’t know…”

Well that cleared up a few things up. If Haechan is part of the group of people who often hangs out in U-studios then the group is going through a recent loss and trying to reconnect to one another anew. Chenle talks a lot about this Haechan too and yet...

“Sorry… I didn’t know. Like Chenle used to blabber about Haechan all the time so I thought it was his real name…”

Lucas smiled, small and tired. The brightness of his face and voice took a sharp turn downwards as if just by saying Donghyuck’s name could light out his candle. “Well it’s a nickname that came way before I joined. When he was working in 127, you know the arcade slash bowling place just a few blocks from U, it was created there by his co-workers because of they think—quote unquote—he represents the sun,” Lucas snorted, letting out a little laugh at the memory.

_Was,_ Lucas used the past tense talking about Donghyuck.

Lucas pushed his body back, relaxing his shoulders as if trying to release some sort of tension. “I recommended his apartment to you right? Let me guess, you got room number is twenty three?”

Jeno nodded, slurping slowly on his drink.

“Well Seulgi-noona told me the only tenant who went out was Haechan so yeah… he’s a great kid,” Lucas shakes his drink, creating the sound of ice clacking against the plastic cup. “Wish he’d come back though, he’s gone for like a good chunk of three months and never answered our messages, the university administration even said that he took off university for a year” Lucas grimaced and shakes his drink once more before checking if there was any drink left. “I don’t even know what happened to the kid…”

That caught Jeno’s attention.

“You… don’t know where he is right now?” he asked, articulating his words carefully in case he said the wrong words.

Lucas looked up from his drink. “Nope, pretty much up and left one day. We don’t even have his parents contact or anything so we’re all left in the dark, we don’t know what happened to him or what caused him to be like that…” he sighed, shoulders sagging sadly.

“Do you,” he turned to Jeno once more. Anticipation and hope glimmering in his dark eyes. “Know where he is perhaps?”

_In the graveyard somewhere,_ Jeno wanted to say but he kept his mouth shut and shook his head instead.

Lucas nodded with a frown, disappointed but not surprised. “I wish someone knows… even Mark and Chenle, two of the closest people to Haechan, doesn’t know anything.”

Jeno hummed under his breath, eyes wondering down to his drink. A buzzing sound cut through the air and Jeno watches as Lucas fished his phone out of his pocket. “Ah… Jeno,” he smiled apologetically at the younger. “Do you mind if I head out first?”

“Well you were the one who suddenly came and sit here uninvited,” Jeno joked and Lucas grinned sheepishly at that. “It’s Jungwoo-hyung wasn’t it?”

“Man, can’t I get a day off from all this teasing? Jeez we got together last year, its not supposed to be big news anymore,” Lucas whined with a pout. Jeno laughed, waving him off.

“You just make it so easy for us to tease you Luke,” Jeno made a shooing motion towards him. “Soulmates are important anyways, so go, shoo shoo.”

Lucas shrugged, blushing though he was grinning from ear to ear. Jeno snorted and shook his head, his friend’s so whipped. “Scram and give my regards to him alright!”

“Will do! It was nice talking to you Jen,” Lucas saluted as he got up. He hesitated for a moment before he turns to look at Jeno once more. “Dude, if you got some info on Donghyuck…”

Ah… Was Jeno really that easy to read?

He gave the older a tentative smile, nodding his head. “I’ll give you a head’s up.”

Lucas sent him one last grin before he was out of the door. Jeno stared at the seat his friend had sat, wondering why Donghyuck’s close friends weren’t notified of Donghyuck’s death and if it has to do with everything that is happening right now.

He’ll think about it later, Jeno decided as he opened his thick book _Mechanics and Design in Engineering_ and tried to soak in all of the knowledge provided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno clapped and cheered when Hyun finished dancing. She beamed at him, bowing down to her only audience in the corner of a street just a few walks away from her house. “How did I do saem?” she eagerly asked as she ran up to Jeno after her little show.

Jeno bent down to his knees, smiling and ruffled her hair. She protested because her hair is going to be messy after her mother had braided her hair so beautifully which only made Jeno laugh. “You did great! Are you going to perform on stage like that this Sunday Hyun-ah?”

“Ne!” Hyun eagerly nodded, messy hair forgotten. “I’m sorry I couldn’t dance as properly as I do using my ballet shoes, mama says that I need them in pristine condition if I want to perform perfectly on stage,” Hyun bent her head down in regret, her lips jutting out cutely in a pout.

Jeno hummed, Hyun is only eight years old and yet she speaks so fluently and uses big words from the dictionary. Jeno wasn’t that smart when he was eight. “Well your mama is right for that,” he told her, “not only do you have to be in your best condition but also your things so that you can show people your best dance. Who knows…” his lips quirked into a smile, “maybe you’ll be scouted by a ballet instructor later so you can be the best ballet dancer in South Korea?”

Hyun’s eyes are literally shining. “You really think so Jeno-saem!?”

Jeno grinned, endeared. “Why not? You’re the best ballet dancer I’ve seen so far.” Hyun squealed, unable to contain her excitement and Jeno laughed. “Okay, let’s get you home okay? I promised your mother that we won’t be long.”

Jeno had told Hyun’s mother that he was going to take her out on a small grocery run to get her her favorite candy because Hyun had demanded she get another reward for acing her English quiz though Jeno didn’t even teach her that subject. Hyun’s mother conceded, from the exasperated sigh and smile on her face, she knew just how stubborn her daughter is and lets them out to go to the nearest grocery in the area to get the candy, warning them not to take too long.

“But I want to spend more time with Jeno-saem,” Hyun frowned as Jeno handed her a candy. “This small grocery run is too short. Jeno-saem, we should go out for dinner sometime!”

Demanding princess, Jeno shook his head in exasperation. “Well maybe we’ll go to dinner one day but don’t you want your mum and dad to come too so we could have a dinner together?” he asked.

“No!” Hyun threw her candy to the ground, eyes glaring right up at his, a frown marring her face. “It’s a date Jeno-saem! Why would we need my parents to be there?”

Jeno froze.

…what?

Jeno almost snapped his neck to give Hyun a second-over as if seeing her for the first time.

“You dropped your candy little princess,” Someone, a college student by the black bag behind his back and the red laptop bag slung on his shoulder, bent down and took the candy that Hyun had thrown, thank goodness its still inside its wrapper, it could be saved.

Though the stranger’s face was shadowed mostly by his cap, they could still see how the stranger’s pink lips curved into a smile as he bent down to Hyun’s height, hand stretched out with the purple candy still inside its transparent wrapper.

Hyun stared up at the stranger then down to the candy before turning to Jeno. Jeno recovered from his stupor quickly, smiled and nodded. Hyun nodded then turned back to the stranger and gently takes the candy from the outstretched hand. “Thank you…” she said, voice tiny and timid.

“Your welcome,” the stranger smiled, his whole face shadowed by the baseball cap on his head when he bowed at her. “I’ll be going then, see you later princess,” he waved.

Dark brown eyes met Jeno and then the stranger smiled and bowed to Jeno before he walks away.

Hyun opened the candy wrapper slowly, smiling down at her purple candy. “This is for Jeno-saem,” she said as she hands the candy over to Jeno. “Thank you for being my tutor, Jeno-saem.” Jeno chuckled, plopping the candy into his mouth. Hyun giggled, reaching her hand out to hold Jeno’s.

“You’re being oddly nice,” Jeno commented and Hyun giggled. “Who are you and what have you done to the Hyun-ah I know?”

Hyung laughed. “Conspiracy! Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” She chirped. “There’s a clone replacing Jung Hyun’s place! Conspiracy!”

The ringtone of Jeno’s phone made Hyun stop shouting, looking at Jeno with wide curious brown eyes. Jeno smiled apologetically, “we’ll just walk as I take the call okay? Your home is just around the corner.” Hyun nodded and the two continued their walk as Jeno answered his phone.

“Chenle-ya?”

_[Hyung! Why is it when I come to your place you’re not there?]_

Jeno furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “But I told you that I’m always out tutoring at Friday afternoons? Uhm… why are you calling?”

Jeno could literally feel Chenle rolling his eyes at him from the other side of the line. _[Right I forgot. You’ve got the nerve to ask that, you know? I haven’t seen you in so long and this is how you treat me!? Yah! Have some respect!]_

Hyun shakes her head, shooting Jeno a reprimanding look. “You shouldn’t be rude, Jeno-ssaem,” she advised. Great, now he’s getting scolded by an eight year old.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said just so Hyun could stop looking at him as if he had stepped on a cat’s tail for fun. “I haven’t seen you in so long either, didn’t know I’d get a call three weeks in after my move in,” he joked.

Well other than was Chenle majoring in another another major, Jeno had avoided in mentioning Chenle or anything Chenle related because Donghyuck would have that impassive look on his face whenever Jeno does so much as mention Chenle’s name which speaks volume on how much he was close to Chenle.

Jeno had asked and Donghyuck had shrugged it off in reply.

Chenle hummed, Jeno pictured he was standing in the balcony of his penthouse with the phone on his ear and mind distant as he overlooked the city’s view. _[I’m sorry it took me this long… Didn’t know majoring in aesthetic would be this demanding,]_ Chenle sighed regretfully. _[But uhm, how are you Jeno-hyung?]_

Jeno smiled, glad they were still on the comfort zone with each other. “I’m fine… how are you Chenle-ya?”

_[Great, Renjun’s burning himself though, he’s been going on full force on his projects ever since midterms ended,]_ Chenle sighed again as Jeno and Hyun turned at the corner of the street, Hyun’s house is right in front of their faces.

“I hope you’ll be able to bring him back though,” Jeno said and Chenle scoffed at that. Jeno smiled, this familiarity is nice… been a while since he felt it with someone other than Donghyuck. “And take care of yourself too while you’re at it okay?”

Jeno heard Chenle’s grin as he and Hyun crossed the street _. [You bet!]_

He stood in front of the familiar tall building of Hyun’s home. “Sorry Chenle-ya but I gotta go. I have to take Hyun back to her house before her mother scolds either of us,” Hyun giggled and Jeno sent her a wink. “Hyun-ah says hello!” He slides the phone over to the little brunette beside him.

“Hello!” Hyun shouted, grasping Jeno’s phone with her two tiny hands as she held the device in front of her face.

Chenle laughed from the other end _. [Hello Hyun-ah! Take care of Jeno-hyung for me okay!]_

Hyun throws her head back and laughs, laughter racking her body in waves. “I will!”

She then hands over the phone back to Jeno who promptly takes it. “I’ll talk to you later okay?”

_[You better!]_

Jeno chuckled. He chanced a glance at the setting sun behind tall buildings of the neighborhood, a flash of brown gentle eyes flashed inside his mind, eyes that reminds him so much of the setting sun. His smile fell, Hyun who was watching this whole time frowned at the sudden change on her tutor’s face. “Uhm… Chenle-ya?”

_[Yeah, Jeno-hyung?]_

Jeno shook his head, turning back to the face Hyun’s house. “Nothing, I’ll call you back later okay?”

_[I’ll be waiting for it, bye Jeno-hyung!]_

Jeno smiled, it was small and tight-lipped not like the ones he showed before. “Yeah… bye Chenle,” Hyun watched her tutor steadily as he puts his phone back into his pocket before turning to her with that miniscule smile on his face, wondering not for the first time what her tutor was hiding from the rest of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno’s sitting in the seat available just outside a convenient store, eating the slump of bubblegum flavored from a cup, glad it’s Children’s day because he could just crash and burn for the first time ever since he worked his ass off from midterms. Jeno had woken up late, heated up his to-be breakfast and sat on the couch waiting for his breakfast to be heated. He proceeded to head to the convenient store across his apartment when Donghyuck had decided to ruin his plans for the day, not for the first time, and pushed him off the couch with money in his hands.

_:Be useful on this national holiday idiot! Go and get ice-cream!:_ Donghyuck ordered and Jeno stared at the money a tad bit too long.

“That’s my money…” was the only thing he could say before Donghyuck kicked him out of his own apartment.

Jeez, so much for living peacefully with a roommate of a ghost.

Him eating in the ice-cream parlor was just a payback for Donghyuck to wait a little longer, Jeno could be petty too when he wants to.

He glanced at his phone buzzing into life, a notification from Chenle was received. Ever since the call he had with the younger, the other had been a nag and spammed him with lots of messages. Jeno could only silence him whenever Renjun comes and Chenle excused himself or when Jeno excused himself to sleep.

Jeno knows the itch he’s feeling all this time as he talk with Chenle wasn’t concerned to their friendship but of someone Jeno and Chenle have a mutual friendship with yet the person doesn’t know the other person does. He bites his lip, tapping a finger on the table top.

_Screw this._

He took his phone, clicking on Chenle’s contact number and called. His call was answered right at the second ring. “Chenle-ya?”

The voice that he heard from the other line was definitely not Chenle’s. _[Ah no, I’m sorry but this is his boyfriend speaking.]_

And for a moment Jeno’s heart shattered.

Great. When will he ever have the balls to do something without thinking again?

Jeno tried to find his voice. “Oh uhm,” he cursed himself for sounding so nervous. His voice fucking _cracked, what the fuck he should’ve showered before he ran this errand._ “Renjun was it?” Jeno felt stupid for asking an absolutely obvious question.

_[Yes,]_ Bless Renjun for not pointing out his cracked voice. _[I’m sorry but Chenle’s currently in the shower so I think you have to call an hour later.]_

Jeno heaved out a long and heavy sigh. “The kid and his long showers,” he grumbled. Renjun seems to agree because he chuckles good-naturally.

_[Chenle does take his time when he showers, hogs it every time its his turn_ ,] Jeno scoffed, he knows that better than anyone being in apartment as the younger for a year. Chenle’s a nightmare for Jeno’s very early morning classes. _[Uhm… is this Lee Jeno?]_

Jeno flicks his spoon on to the small blob of ice-cream left on his cup. Sad that good stuff ends so quickly. “Yeah, this is Jeno. Why? Does Chenle talks a lot about me?”

A chuckle reverberated through his left ear _. [Oh yeah, he talks a lot about you Jeno.]_

Jeno can’t stop the shit eating grin from forming on his lips as he eats the last blob of ice-cream. “Good things I hope.”

The laugh that came out of Renjun was filled with amusement _. [Oh you know Chenle…]_

That could mean a lot of things but Jeno shrugged, oh well. “He was my roommate for a while I kind of get what you mean.”

_[That’s what I thought…]_ there was a smile on Renjun’s voice. Jeno smiled, Chenle’s so easy to be fond of. _[Well Jeno, since Chenle is in the shower how may I help you?]_

“Can you tell Chenle to call me when he finishes showering? It’s kind of important…”

_[Sure, I’ll pass the word over.]_

Jeno sighed in relief. “Thanks Renjun!”

_[Why don’t we meet up one day? Weird how we’ve never met before when we both actually know Chenle,]_ Renjun said.

“Noted,” Jeno said, his phone suddenly buzzing with another incoming call. “Uh, Renjun? Sorry I got to go, someone’s calling me.”

Renjun chuckled good-naturally. _[Well talk to you later then Jeno.]_

“You too!” Jeno turned off the call he was having with Renjun quickly, accepting the sudden incoming call from Jisung. Jeno thought it was weird for his student to call him but what weird things have been happening to him so. “Jisung?”

_[Hyung!]_ Jisung’s voice is somehow high pitched which was totally weird and so unusual of him because Jisung talks with a low voice. _[Hyung, you’re in room number twenty three right?]_

“Uhm…” Jeno’s weirded the fuck out and it was somehow worrisome how quickly Jisung’s talking and somehow screaming in his ear. “Yeah? Why?”

_[Hyung…]_ Jisung took a deep loud breath as if to collect himself first before saying whatever it was that’s bothering him about Jeno’s place. _[Your room’s smoke detector is blaring loudly and there’s smoke coming out of your door.]_

Jeno shot up from his seat, he’s never moved to get up so fast in his life. “Fuck! I forgot to turn off the stove!”

_[I already reported it to Seulgi-noona, me and Sam will try to bust the door and turn off the stove, please come back quick,]_ Jisung said and Jeno thanked him before stopping the call.

He just had to fucking bump into someone when he turned to leave. “S-Sorry!”

“Holy mackerels,” There’s coffee spilt on the stranger’s white t-shirt. Jeno fucked himself twice in just a day. He looked up slowly to look at the person. Even with the black mask covering half of his face, Jeno could still see the grimace on his face probably from how hot his coffee had felt on his skin.

“Well, there goes my coffee…”

Jeno’s at a loss of words.

Eyes shaded by the baseball cap on his hat, the stranger’s dark brown eyes met his and suddenly Jeno felt some sort of familiarity within them like he had seen those eyes before. Jeno was just about to rack his brain for the memory of seeing the pair of dark eyes when he remembered.

Some detector.

Smoke.

Fire.

Donghyuck.

“I’m sorry but my apartment is on fire!” He bowed and fucking stormed out of his crime scene in a flash, leaving a stunned stranger behind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, his apartment wasn’t on fire. His owner, the ever kind-hearted Seulgi-noona, said that it’s a false alarm. Samuel, his neighbor who’s coincidentally Jisung’s friend in school, almost called the fire department and Jeno’s glad he hadn’t because well… you know.

_:Had to make two fetuses worried huh?:_ Donghyuck smirked. Jeno flipped him the finger from behind his back. Donghyuck snickered as Seulgi told him to be careful and not to forget to turn off his stove when he leaves the apartment. Jisung and Samuel, who were still standing there, nodded alongside him.

Donghyuck, hit his back just as he bowed his head when Seulgi left, ripping air out of his lungs. “Lee fucking Donghyuck!” he whirled around to the place he knows where Donghyuck was but was surprised to find Jisung’s frightened form instead.

_Fuck._

“Come on Jisung! We haven’t started our science project for the science competition yet!” Samuel pulled on Jisung’s arm. “We’re going to get killed by Jeon-ssaem at this point!”

Jisung can’t seem to form the right words, opening and closing his mouth as he looks back and forth from Samuel to Jeno.

Jeno gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that,” he spoke up. “I’ll explain about it later?”

Jisung seemed to accept that answer because he nodded and let Samuel drag him to the other’s apartment room. Jeno heaved out a sigh in relief.

_:You scared the shit out of him you know,:_ Donghyuck stood beside him, shaking his head in that disappointed way Hyun did just a few days ago. The clicking sound he was making wasn’t helping either.

Jeno glared at him and barged into his place without another word.

_:I stopped the fire from happening,:_ Donghyuck slithered into the room like the snake he is, closing the door with his foot. _:Say thank you to the great Lee Donghyuck.:_

Cocky as always.

Jeno shoved the ice-cream tub he was holding all this time to Donghyuck. “ _Your_ fucking welcome bitch,” he went to get water from the fridge with Donghyuck tailing behind him, ice cream tub on his arms.

_:You’re an idiot for not turning the damn stove off. Oh I’m sorry you forgot that you were warming up the soup, huh?:_ Donghyuck mocked and Jeno wished the water from the bottle in his water could soak Donghyuck up because really that attitude needs to chill itself.

Jeno drank his water, giving Donghyuck his back as he caps the water bottle and placed it back on its rightful place in the fridge.

_:Oh come on! You might’ve scared the guy—:_

“I’ll be seeing him _again_ on Tuesday which is fucking tomorrow doofus,” Jeno fumed. “Did you even see his face? He was scared shitless _fuck,_ ” Jeno grabbed the edge of the counter, leaning forward as he took a deep breath. “I feel so damn guilty okay? He didn’t deserved that, never saw me in that kind of state in the first place.”

Donghyuck looked kind of guilty for once, if the downturn lips and sad eyes says anything. _:Okay, maybe I did overdid it. I just didn’t know you were going to be_ that _pissed!:_

Jeno sighed, turning around to lean his back against the counter. “I bumped a guy on the way here, I spilled his coffee all over his shirt, and do you know how embarrassing it is to storm out of that because my priority was my apartment in the possibility of going down in flames?”

Donghyuck’s shoulder slumped. _:Oh…:_

Eloquent of him, but Jeno didn’t feel like being sarcastic so he just sighed and sagged his shoulders in relief. “I was scared that anything will happen to you too idiot, fuck this apartment, I wasn’t going to let my roommate die again by a fucking fire.”

_:You do know that I’m technically dead right?:_

Jeno rolled his eyes, motioning at Donghyuck to come closer. Donghyuck walked up to him and Jeno draped his arm over his roommate and friend. “Whatever, as long as you’re safe and…” he smiled up at the other. “Thanks for not letting my apartment room go down in flames, your highness.”

Donghyuck’s lips stretched into a wide smile, pearly white teeth peeking out from his parted lips. _:I live here too dumbass,:_ he said and offered Jeno a spoon Jeno didn’t know he was holding all this time _:Feel like watching some anime gore shit YangYang recommended?:_

Jeno snorted, taking the spoon from his probably friend’s hand. “Bet it’s either Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan or good old Death Note,” he smiles drily and Donghyuck laughed.

Halfway into their third episode of Another, Jeno guess it all wrong but oh well he tried, his phone rang. He dumped the tub of ice-cream on Donghyuck’s lap who gave no reaction to the sudden weight on him and merely puts his arms around it.

Jeno checked the caller ID and pursed his lips. “Gotta get this,” he told Donghyuck who was fortunately distracted with whatever scene was going on in the screen. Jeno maneuvered his way to his bedroom, accepting the call as soon as he got inside. “Hello, Chenle-ya?”

_[Hello, Jeno-hyung!]_ Chenle’s voice was chirpy and cheerful as always, bright of life. It puts a smile on Jeno’s face. _[Did you call? Cause Renjun-ge said he answered your call when I was in the shower then told me to call you back asap when I’m done with it?]_

Bless Renjun.

“Yeah I did and about… about that,” now this was the hard part. How in the world does he admit to Chenle that he’s currently roommates with a ghost named Lee Donghyuck who was also Haechan, the person Chenle’s close with.

Before he could think of something, Chenle beats him to it. _[Wait, don’t tell me you’re already kicked out this soon!?]_

“No! No!” Jeno tried his best to keep his voice low so that Donghyuck won’t be bothered to come and eavesdrop because he does that sometimes because its fucking ‘interesting’ he says go figure.  “No, don’t worry about that, Seulgi-noona is a great owner. It’s just uhm, it’s complicated. Something I don’t want to ask Seulgi-noona about.”

Chenle’s confusion could be felt radiating from the other side. _[Complicated? How so?]_

Okay now Jeno’s just gotta fish and hopefully Chenle knows what he wants to catch. “You see… the room that I’m in right now used to be someone else’s right?”

_[Well duh,]_ monotone and so matter-of-factly. Really Chenle-esque but at least he’s going to get there.

“Okay, so I know who used to live here I just don’t know how to contact the person.”

Chenle hummed, his mind whirling into life and he’s getting where Jeno’s taking him, know what Jeno wants to fish out of him. _[I may have connections but that doesn’t really mean I know everyone. I can’t guarantee you anything hyung,]_ he warned.

“I know,” Jeno said.

If Chenle was to stand in front of him right now, he would’ve given Jeno the complete look-over as if assessing him. _[Alright,]_ Go fish, Jeno internally cheered. _[Name?]_

“Lee Donghyuck.”

The second beat of silence wasn’t left unnoticed to either party.

_[Lee D-Donghyuck?]_ Chenle’s voice was staggering from it’s earlier confidence. Jeno knows he had caught the right target.

No time to feel guilty though, “yes.”

_[Well…]_ Chenle’s onto something, his voice hadn’t wavered this much before. As much as he was a child in people’s eyes, he had the unwavering heart of those with power. To have his voice even hesitate for a beat as he talked was something, that had meant that Donghyuck meant something to the younger.

_[It’s more complicated than we thought then, Jeno-hyung. Renjun will meet up with you later, I’ll send the deets,]_ he’s serious. This is some big shit.

Jeno glanced at the closed door as if he could see Donghyuck who was on the other side. “Why Renjun, Chenle-ya?”

_[They had some history…]_ Chenle’s voice is devoid of any emotions. It was just sharp and curt. Jeno widened his eyes in realization because _oh fuck he reminds me of Donghyuck_ turned into _oh he got that from Donghyuck. [It was before I came into his life, you’ll have to talk to him about Donghyuck.]_

Jeno’s not sure what to feel. How Chenle talked unnerved him.

“O-Oh… okay. Thank you Chenle-ya.”

_[No thank you hyung,]_ a small sound like the one of a making smile was heard. _[If it weren’t for you to bring it up, I don’t know when Renjun-ge will stop moping around about him. I’ll send you the deets of your meeting, bye hyung.]_

The beeping noise of an ended call ringed on his ear. Jeno took his phone off his ear, ending the call from his end.

Was Renjun Donghyuck’s soulmate?

But then… he’s potentially Chenle’s soulmate too… could it be a case of having two different soulmates where a person has to choose one over the other?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jeno meets Jisung that Tuesday night, Jisung doesn’t bring up the topic of Jeno’s sudden outburst and Jeno teaches Jisung math normally like any other day and Jisung complains but at the same time does his work throughout the entire tutoring session but as they were warping out Jisung kept on staring at Jeno and Jeno knew what he wanted.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, praying to every deity out there to give him the patience he needed to face the kid. “What is it Jisung?”

“Why did you call me Lee Donghyuck, hyung?” Jisung asked without hesitant. “Who’s that?”

Jeno smiled tiredly at the curious child. “A friend, Jisung. An annoying little prick who can’t seem to stop bothering me,” he ruffled the teenager’s hair. “How about if I tell you about it later?”

“When?” Jisung frowned.

“When this whole thing is figured out,” Jeno answered mysteriously which only made Jeno’s frown deepen. That does the trick.

The sound coming from his phone diverted his attention.

**_Chenle [21:30]_ **

_Hyung can you come to the café just a street away from your place?_

**_Jeno [21:31]_ **

_I don’t. Might as well get coffee._

**_Chenle [21:32]_ **

_Cool, Renjun-ge’s waiting there._

He looked up at Jisung and waved. “I’ll see you at Thursday for a double session since Friday is Father and Mother’s day Jisung!”

And he was out the door at the next minute with Jisung’s load groan of pain.

Donghyuck raised an eyebrow when Jeno walked in the apartment room to dump his bag on the couch beside him.  “I’ll head out in a bit to meet a friend alright?” Jeno informed him and Donghyuck nodded slowly. Donghyuck then turned to watch the TV program rolling on the TV.

Jeno’s lips quirked, mischief glinting his eyes. “Donghyuck…” he called and Donghyuck turned to look at him with raised questioning eyebrows. Jeno grinned, bending down slightly and flicked Donghyuck’s forehead with his finger.

Donghyuck gasped at the sudden assault, holding his hurt forehead, looking at Jeno with those wide confused eyes. Jeno snickered and that was what brought Donghyuck back. He let out a strangled scream and Jeno successfully avoided the incoming kick from the ghost by taking a step back.

Donghyuck’s jaw was clenched, Jeno’s grin widened. It felt weirdly good to see your opponent riled up. Donghyuck stood on the couch and—

Oh shit this is getting real.

His eyes flickered to the door briefly, Donghyuck saw that and didn’t wasted a time to lunge at him with a battle cry.

“Fuck!” Jeno ran but was too late because Donghyuck had caught him on a vice-like and sent the two of them tumbling down on to the floor. Jeno cursed as Donghyuck laughed like a maniac.

“Get off me!” Jeno elbowed Donghyuck’s face, Donghyuck grunted in pain and Jeno wasted no time to wiggle out of Donghyuck’s grip. He hurriedly tried to get up but then Donghyuck got his claws on his legs. “Off!” Jeno kicked on his friend’s stomach and Donghyuck moaned in pain.

Jeno raced to the door. “Ciao sucker!”

_:Better prepare yourself when you get back here asshole!:_ Donghyuck hollered and Jeno burst into raucous laughter as he waltzed out of the door with his middle finger raised.

“Kiss my ass Hyuck!” He shouted and closed the door, locking the door. He giggled, it was always fun to caught Donghyuck by surprised.

The adrenaline slowly drains out of him and he only realized he was panting when he puts his forehead on the wooden door. He pushed away himself away from the door, a ghost of a smile on his face as he pocketed his keys and walked across the hall.

Usually Donghyuck would be the one initiating those kinds of fighting with him because Jeno was so boring and no one would like to have such a “weak and stupid” soulmate.

Jeno only played along because well why not? It keeps Donghyuck entertained and it keeps him in shape.

Win-win.

He pressed the button and waited for an elevator.

Jeno had never really met the person who’s being claimed as Chenle’s boyfriend slash soulmate so he can’t really predict how this meeting with Chenle’s boyfriend will turn out to be but he hopes that boyfriend of Chenle’s won’t give him a hard time.

Jeno recognized the person right before the person recognized him. Small body, brown hair and dark eyes. He’s wearing Chenle’s beige jacket over a white shirt, ripped jeans, dark-colored sneakers. A sizzling coffee cup sits on the deserted table.

“Renjun?” He asked because he’s not sure yet but he definitely recognizes the face from the pictures Chenle posted in social media.

Renjun glanced up at him and smiled, motioning to the seat across him. “You’re Jeno right? Sit please.”

Jeno placed his ass right on the mentioned seat, setting his cup of cold ice coffee on the table. “So you ordered…”

Smooth start Lee Jeno.

Renjun chuckled, hands rest on the table top, creating some sort of circle around his cup of steaming coffee. “And so did you. So much for our first official conversation…” his smile slips away bit by bit, “you wanted to ask about Donghyuck.”

That was definitely a statement and not a question.

Renjun’s certainly someone Jeno doesn’t want to mess with.

“Yeah…” Jeno wet his lips, “I heard he got the hanahaki disease and that’s all I’ve got about him. U-Uhm,” Jeno cleared his throat, flickering his eyes on his surrounding suddenly feeling paranoid. “Where was he buried?”

Renjun raised an elegant eyebrow. “Buried?” he asked as he sipped on his drink carefully.

Jeno’s damn flustered now that he’s being scrutinized heavily by those dark eyes of Renjun’s. “W-Well I assumed since…” his voice trailed away, failing him once more.

It felt heavy to admit because he saw Donghyuck just a few hours ago laughing and pointing at the TV to some show. Donghyuck’s a ghost, fucking _dead_ but he’s a ghost now, a fucking breathing, living, laughing and smiling ghost who annoys Jeno when he doesn’t buy those candies he likes or pestering Jeno to watch him some idol music videos as he tries to dance along to them.

He’s alive and at the same time not.

It contradicts one another.

Renjun closed his eyes and sighed. “Donghyuck’s not dead,” he said as he fluttered his eyes open. Jaded dark eyes stares right back at Jeno’s wide ones. “At least… not yet.”

Something inside Jeno felt cracked and fixed at the same time

“W-What?”

Renjun sips on his drink again, silent for a moment as his eyes wondered over to look outside the window beside them. “I don’t know how you knew that Donghyuck’s suffering from the hanahaki since not many people know about it but… yes. I might not be the culprit but I played a part in causing him to go through such a misery,” he explained. His voice soft and yet jagged like stepping on rocks as you walk on a stream.

His eyes glanced up at Jeno’s briefly before averting once more. “He’s not dead yet… he’s in a coma,” he said.

“Which hospital?” Jeno asked when he found his voice once more. On one hand he’s glad that Donghyuck’s not dead yet and on the other hand Donghyuck’s not yet free from death’s grasp as of yet.

Jeno’s grip on his drink tightened, the coldness hissing against his skin. Renjun sighed, “I don’t understand how a stranger like you would want to know so much about him.”

“Look there’s just something Donghyuck left at the apartment that I have to tell it to his soulmate about it,” Jeno said, risking himself exposing the truth. Jeno’s not telling anyone about Donghyuck, not yet at least, he could keep this secret for a full-fledge month who’s to say he won’t be able to keep it for a whole year. He wants to keep Donghyuck a secret, just a little longer.

Renjun furrowed his eyebrows, mouth downturned into a frown. “Soulmate? What did he left in the apartment exactly?”

“I can’t tell you that, its for his soulmate only,” Jeno replied too quickly for him but that’s okay, Renjun doesn’t seem to caught it. “Look, I already trespassed on his stuff as it is but I mean, I just want to relay it to his soulmate alright?”

Renjun massaged his forehead tiredly. “I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about Donghyuck’s whereabouts or even anything about his soulmate… I’ll tell you where he is, I won’t be surprised if you meet his soulmate the instant you went there.”

Why does that sound so off?

What does that mean?

“Where is Donghyuck exactly?”

“SNU hospital…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno finds himself wandering aimlessly around the neighborhood, his mind still whirling back the memory of his meeting with Renjun. Renjun’s words echoing in his ears like some broken radio.

_(“It’s not his soulmate’s fault, trust me, as much as an antagonist character he’s depicted in this story. It’s not his fault either, if anything, it’s my fault for letting this to happen without doing anything in the first place.”)_

Renjun didn’t say anything else on the matter only telling him how he’s going to send the visiting timings to Donghyuck’s room, because not everyone was allowed to visit, so they need a special permission of sort or even better yet someone from the inside to smuggle them in quietly.

And when Jeno asked why Renjun’s only telling him the vague detailed he had replied with a curt _it’s not my story to tell._

_(“I was a bad influence for his soulmate… his soulmate got blinded and when I realized what was happening, it was already too late.”)_

What bad influence? How bad of an influence? What’s going on between him and Donghyuck’s soulmate? How was Donghyuck’s soulmate blinded? And by what? What was happening? Was it the hanahaki? What made everything too late?

Jeno sat on the swing, looking up at the dark sky with hope.

He hopes everything will be alright in time.

“You look like you have a lot in your mind.”

Jeno gave the stranger sitting on the swing next to him a small smile. He didn’t saw when the other male beside him got here. Shit, was he sitting here all this time and Jeno decided to crash his alone time?

Although it was already late and the black cap on the stranger’s head or the black mask on his face wasn’t helping Jeno in seeing who it was not to mention those dark leather jacket, black shirt and leather jeans, he was particularly one with the night. Although was able to catch a glimpse of dark brown eyes in the shadows created by the cap.

There was an inkling feeling that he had seen those eyes before.

“Have we met before?”

Judging from how the corner of the stranger’s eyes crinkled, he’s smiling so that’s a yes. “You don’t remember do you?” he asked instead as he slowly swung his legs and let his swing slowly rock back and forth.

Jeno frowned. “No…” he started to gently rock his swing back and forth, copying the stranger’s actions. “I didn’t even know you were sitting here the whole time.”

“Well you never pay attention to me,” the stranger pointed out. “But we’ve met a couple of times for me to remember that face of yours.”

Jeno grimaced. “Sorry… I tend to do that a lot.”

The stranger snorted and waves a hand, dismissing the apology. “It’s alright, I’m just someone passing by anyways.”

Jeno hummed, eyes gazing up to the stars. “That’s kind of sad,” he said and the stranger gave him a brief glance. Jeno smiled, small and wistful. “That some people just seem to pass by in your life,” he said. He turned away with an awkward laugh, “I’m being so melancholic sorry!”

The stranger snorted, hands loosening his grip on the metal bar of the swing. “It’s alright, I don’t mind listening.”

“I just want my friend to be happy,” Jeno said, putting his head on the metal chain. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up to find the stranger smiling at him or at least he thought the stranger’s doing by the way the corner of his eyes crinkled.

“I bet your friend is happy to be friends with you,” he squeezed Jeno’s arm. “Judging by the way you’re stressing yourself think about your friend, you’re a great friend and your friend is happy being friends with you. Does that make sense?” he added the final words in a hurry, peering at Jeno from his place closely.

Jeno chuckled. “It does make sense, don’t worry.”

His companion squeezed his shoulder and leaned back to swing once more.

“What’s your name?” Jeno asked after a couple beats of silence. “I can’t keep on calling you stranger-san in my head.”

His companion let out a small noise indicating that he was smiling under the mask. “Jaemin, Na Jaemin. You?”

“Jeno,” Jeno replied then decided to be cheeky. “Lee Jeno,” he smiled as Jaemin nodded.

“Lee Jeno huh…” Jaemin tested the words on his lips as if trying to figure out something. Jeno raised his eyebrows, questioning. Jaemin let out a little laugh. He tilted his head, voice amused as he said, “So Lee Jeno is the name of the person I kept on bumping to this whole time. Once with a little girl and once with coffee down my shirt.”

Jeno gaped.

He gaped like the idiot he was.

All wide eyes and open mouth.

“Oh and I remembered your last words to me that morning,” Jaemin chirped cheerfully as if the whole ordeal wasn’t a big thing. As if Jeno hadn’t wasted his fucking coffee and stormed the hell out after that. “I’m sorry but my apartment is on fire! You said, quote unquote. Oh that reminds me…” he jumped a little on his seat as he turned to Jeno once more.

“How’s your apartment Jeno?” Eyebrows furrowed, worry lacing into his voice. “I hope your apartment didn’t burn down for real though…”

This day’s just a day of revelations upon revelations.

Jeno swallowed, grasping on his metal chains, he could feel just how hot his face was burning with embarrassment. “I—I—”

Jaemin leaned over to put a comforting hand on Jeno’s knee. “Hey, it’s alright kay? I was just messing with you besides I don’t mind if you repay that ruined coffee of mine with another cup of coffee.”

Is this guy…?

“You want me to take you out for coffee?” Jeno felt dumb saying that but his mind-to-mouth filter hadn’t been working beautifully that day. His brain had short-circuited when he realized what Jaemin kind of implied.

Jaemin shrugged, “Well if you’re up for it? I mean I believe in the whole soulmate thingy so its not kind of serious of a date if you get what I mean?”

Jaemin’s blabbering again, cute.

“Well I do believe in the whole soulmate thing too and though soulmates can form platonic bonds I would like to meet them first before I could make any sort of decision so,” Jeno mused as he pulled himself forward and backwards with his legs, moving his swing. “I don’t know Jaemin, I might not take you out on that coffee.”

“Oh come on Jeno it could be platonic,” Jaemin groaned and Jeno burst into laughter. Jaemin gave him a look and even though it’s only his eyes that Jeno could see, it was an expression of exasperation. “It’s not like I’m asking you to take me out on a date or anything?”

Jeno cocked an eyebrow. “Oh are you?”

Jaemin made a dying sound on the back of his throat that sent Jeno into another fit of laughter. “You should improve your flirting skills Jaemin, I bet everyone knows just how corny you are,” Jeno surmised.

Jaemin gasped, loud and exaggerated which made Jeno go into another round of snickers. He had put his hand on his heart and sounded so scandalous. “Excuse you Jeno! My flirting skills is top-notch!”

Jeno had only needed to cock a mocking eyebrow at the other to get him fuming and pouting. He hid his laugh behind his hand, his day suddenly brightened up thanks to this stranger who had companied him through the night.

Jaemin rolled his eyes when Jeno looked up at him, “your welcome.” Jeno’s lips quirked into a huge smile, setting his eyes into crescents.

“Thanks.”

Jaemin snorted in reply.

Jeno watched Jaemin as he swings, taking in the way the stranger swing with all his might, the way his cap’s wobbling dangerously on his head and how he threw his head back as he laughed in glee as the swing swung higher and higher, shadows danced on the ground created by the rapid movement of the swing.

Even with all the dark colors clinging on to him, he looked like an angel.

A random thought entered his brain.

“You’re beautiful,” the words slipped out, loud and clear for his companion to hear before he could stop himself.

That had caught Jaemin by surprise, his eyes widening just a fraction but a smile bloomed on his lips. “That’s cheesy,” he laughed, regaining back his senses as his swing move back and their eyes met one another.

“But hey, Jeno!” Jaemin beamed, pulling down his mask to show off those rows of pearly white teeth at his soulmate, the words _‘you’re beautiful’_ on his right cheekbone was shown to the world. “You’re beautiful too.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno placed his books inside his black bag, packing up his things for the class had ended. He wasn’t going to go home yet though, he still has a class after the lunch break which was around fifty minutes later.

“Hey, do you want to get some lunch in the cafeteria with me?” YangYang asked as he stood next to the older, bag on his back and ready to go.

“Sure but I need to do something first,” Jeno replied, slipping on the straps of his bag on his shoulders. He looked over his phone to see if he had any new message notification. “YangYang, you go ahead and reserve a place for us, I’ll catch up.”

YangYang nodded. “Alright. Do you want me to order something for you?”

“Anything’s fine,” Jeno answered, a little bit distracted because his phone had just vibrated with a notification of a message being received. “I’ll pay you later, okay?” he grabbed his phone from the table, smiling up to YangYang.

YangYang shrugged, not minding the weird behavior his friend had just shown being so used to Jeno’s antics. “Alright, I’ll see you at the cafeteria then!” He saluted then walked out of the half-empty classroom.

Jeno unlocked his phone, smiling in relief at the message he had received.

**_Lucas [12:11]_ **

_I don’t mind if you want to talk!_

_I’m at the second floor A.2.10 I think_

Jeno walked out of the classroom and with long strides, he was in the hallway of a different floor in the engineering building, eyes searching for a plaque on top of the doors that had anything with _‘A.2.10’_ on it.

There!

Jeno walked into the room labelled A.2.10, eyes zooming in at a person with blonde hair and dark eyes who was sitting on the second row of the classroom talking with someone who had dyed his hair an eccentric blue color.

Jeno strolled up to the empty seat next to the blonde, noting how there were only a few students left scattered around the room. “You seriously need to be surer about your location and not just say ‘I think’ hyung,” he grumbled, setting his ass down on the seat.

The blue-haired boy huffed a smile, dark eyes looking at Jeno’s with sympathy.

Jeno understands his sentiment.

“Thank you for making and printing the report Luke, it looks great too,” he said as he handed Lucas the report he had just went flicked through.

“Told you it wasn’t a big deal,” Lucas scoffed with a smirk to which the other rolled his eyes at. Jeno waited patiently as the blue-haired student packed up his things and stood from his seat.

“Come on Jeju boy!” Someone yelled from the door.

“Coming!”

Jeno watched the blue-haired student go then turned his attention back to Lucas who had this wide and unrepentant grin on his face. “But you found me in the end right?” he teased, replying to Jeno’s previous question.

Jeno snorted. “For now.”

Lucas put a hand above his mouth and laughed. “Alright, alright,” he waved his hand in the air, leaning back against his chair with a contagious smile on his face. “What’s up Jen? Did something happen that you had to specifically meet me in person?”

“You could say that,” Jeno muttered, eyes averting Lucas’s. It wasn’t really that big of a thing, he was just too embarrassed to ask this kind of help from someone. He wasn’t really one to ask people for help, it was usually the other way around so when this happens he’s uncomfortable and worried.

Lucas was still smiling though, eyes kind and gentle.

Patiently waiting.

Oh fuck this, Jeno thought. Jeno threw his insecurities out of the window and opened his mouth, being brave and bold for once.

“Can I borrow your car for the day?” he asked.

“When?” Lucas asked without missing a beat, eyes taking in Jeno’s nervous form kindly.

“Today,” Jeno’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment because this was so unplanned and abrupt. This wasn’t really his thing, being spontaneous, so it’s really taking a huge chunk of himself to go through. “I’m really sorry for asking you this so suddenly but I need to borrow your car for something.”

And with his reason being so vague, the possibility of Lucas allowing him was slim.

Lucas grinned to his surprise. “I don’t mind.”

Jeno nervously bit on his bottom lip, eyes wary. “You sure?”

“I’m serious besides you look like you really need it,” Lucas chuckled. “Chenle talks about how you’re great at handling his car too so I don’t think I’ll have to worry about my baby that much if she’s being handed by capable hands.”

Jeno pursed his lips, still hesitant. “You sure you’re okay with it?”

Lucas gave his shoulder a pat. “I’m fine really,” he grinned and fished out his car keys from his pocket. “Just hand her over in one shape tomorrow okay?”

Lucas threw the car keys to Jeno to which the younger caught. He gave the key and owner a hesitant glance exchange. Lucas laughed, “Seriously man, it’s just a car, my baby, not some else’s bride or anything.”

“I just still feel uncomfortable for asking you of this,” Jeno admitted with a grimace.

Lucas chuckled and waved his hand, trying to assure Jeno for the umpteenth time that it really was alright for him to borrow his car for the whole day. “I’m serious! It’s fine! Just return her safely later alright? That’s the only condition I have.”

Jeno tilted his head, contemplating the other’s words. “Alright,” he relented. “What’s your car?”

“A red jeep wrangler, parked just right on the side of the front entrance, you won’t miss it,” Lucas replied as he shouldered his bag and got up from his seat.

Jeno followed suit, nodding his head slowly. Lucas laughed at the nervousness Jeno was still displaying. “Look Jeno, if you need anything like literally _anything_ that’s of good reason just as me, yeah? You’re my friend,” he grinned. “Alright, I’ll see you later okay? I have a boyfriend to meet.”

Jeno shook his head as he watched his friend up and ran out of the classroom.

Fortunately, he looked at the car keys on his hand, Lucas trusts him enough with his car. He sighed, a smile making its way to his lips as he pocketed Lucas’s car keys. He then fished out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

**_Jeno [12:15]_ **

_Jaemin do you want to go out with me later today?_

Jeno then clicked on another contact and typed another message to the person.

**_Jeno [12:16]_ **

_Can I see Donghyuck today?_

After sending those messages, Jeno walked out of the classroom and down the stairs to the first floor where the cafeteria was located but he held his phone in one hand, just in case either of the two people he just messaged replied.

One of them did.

**_Jaemin [12:18]_ **

_Are you asking me out to a date?_

Jeno’s cheeks burned.

Jaemin’s too straight forward, it might cause a problem for his heart. He glanced around, just to make sure no one around him was peering on his conversation with his soulmate. The next second, his fingers flew across the keypad on his phone.

**_Jeno [12:20]_ **

_Maybe? Not really? Does visiting someone in a hospital counts as a date?_

**_Jaemin [12:20]_ **

_Definitely_

**_Jeno [12:21]_ **

_Uhh… okay??_

**_Jaemin [12:22]_ **

_You’re so cute uwu_

_Are we taking the bus or train?_

**_Jeno [12:23]_ **

_I might’ve borrowed a car for this_

**_Jaemin [12:24]_ **

_Didn’t know you can drive_

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Jeno muttered as he typed a reply to his soulmate. Then he excused himself from the chatroom, saying that he needs to eat to which Jaemin reply with _eat lots and healthy then!!!!_ Accompanied by three rows of hearts. Kind of embarrassing but it somehow made Jeno smile and feel a little giddy inside.

A mass of blonde hair in a sea of brown and black caught Jeno’s attention. Aside from Lucas, Jeno doesn’t really know anyone who had dyed their hair a different color.

Jeno blinked in surprise when he caught sight of person who has their hair dyed blonde and it wasn’t Lucas.

_(“I don’t care if you can see my string! If I say she’s my soulmate then she is, Jeno! And you don’t have a say on that!”)_

His grip on his phone tightened, his brown eyes following the person with the eye-catching hair.

_(“But she said the words Jeno! She said the words written on the inside of my fucking wrist don’t you see!? Just leave me the fuck alone if you’ll only continue to be an asshole to your best friend Jeno.”)_

Felix, the blonde, was talking to someone who looked like the guy with blue hair from Lucas’s class as they and a few other boys with eccentric colored hair walk down the hall.

Jeno sighed deeply through his nose and decided to follow behind them silently, careful not to be seen by the group of boys as they made their way to the main entrance of the building.

Might as well see what Felix is up to lately, Jeno thought.

It had been three long months since they had last talked after all.

Felix bumped into someone who was clad in all shades of black and when the other said something as an apology to which stunned Felix. Jeno watched silently as the Felix’s end of the string tightened around his pinky, snug and fitting, as the length of the string shortened when the dark-haired boy stepped forward and grabbed Felix’s arm.

Jeno stepped back.

What happened after wasn’t for him to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donghyuck’s eye twitched. Jeno’s been looking back at his phone then at him for like a thousand time today in the last ten minutes as if he’s having some sort of tennis match and didn’t knew whether it was safe to tell Donghyuck something his phone said or something. He’s being twitchy ever since he came back from teaching Hyun.

Jeno’s been acting weird since yesterday to be honest. He came home with this look on his face as if he’s been on cloud nine or something and Donghyuck’s so glad to rain on his parade by hurling a pen on his face.

Needless to say Donghyuck got the workout of his lifetime last night, Jeno was fucking relentless chasing him around the apartment and attacking him like a hellhound.

And just this morning he left the apartment earlier than usual and came home earlier than usual too which was unusual of Jeno, someone who loves to stick to the timetable.

Something must’ve happened but Donghyuck couldn’t really know why and Jeno’s adamant in telling him what was up.

_:You’re giving me anxiety by how jittery you are,:_ he told Jeno. He ripped the plastic wrapper of the chocolate bar he’s holding though his eyes never left the other’s hunched form on the couch. _:What’s going Jen?:_

“I—”

Donghyuck narrowed his eyes at Jeno. _:Spit it.:_

"My soulmate is coming here.”

Jeno’s eyes widened in regret when he realized what he had just said while Donghyuck rolled his eyes.

He might’ve been one to have a bad blood between him and his soulmate but that doesn’t mean he resents other people for having happy endings he didn’t get. That’s just selfish.

Jeno on the other hand was drowning in guilt and fear. Not only did he not tell Donghyuck about it yesterday night because he was too pissed at the other for raining on his parade after his meeting with Jaemin, he also doesn’t know how Donghyuck will react considering what happened between him and his soulmate. Jeno hopes Donghyuck’s not mad at him though.

_:Idiot,:_ Donghyuck plopped the chocolate bar into Jeno’s mouth and Jeno could only eat it in confusion. He gave Jeno a half-hearted smirk, _:I’m happy for you no-jam. Hope you take care of your soulmate well.:_

He then flicked Jeno’s forehead and laughed as he slumped himself on the couch next to Jeno.

Jeno grimaced in pain, nursing his sore forehead with one hand while his other hand holds on to the chocolate bar Donghyuck gave him. “You’re not angry?”

_:Why would I?:_ Donghyuck snorted and laid his head on Jeno’s shoulder. _:I might have a shitty history with my soulmate and hell I’m not the only one in the world who_ does _so like why? You getting your soulmate means nothing to me other than having an additional friend. But wait,:_ He sat up so fast, he almost hit Jeno’s chin on the process.

There was this ferocity in Donghyuck’s narrowed gaze when he looked at Jeno. _:Your soulmate is not treating you like shit right?:_ he scowled, eyebrows furrowing and eyes daring Jeno to lie.

Jeno shook his head, a genuine smile created by his lips. “No, don’t worry. He’s a nice guy.”

_:Oh my! It’s a guy!:_ Donghyuck teased as he wiggled his eyebrows, the normal teasing Donghyuck was back.

Jeno shoot him a deadpanned look.

He raised his hands and waved his imaginary white flag.

Jeno’s such a no-jam.

_:I’m just teasing! Hey, my soulmate was a guy too okay? Anyways, back to the point! You got your soulmate at last! Good for you! Go out and be gross to each other on public! But know this Lee Jeno I refuse to be sexiled!:_

Donghyuck’s fucking ecstatic to watch Jeno blush profusely and slipping on his words. "W-W-We just met!"

The smirk on Donghyuck’s lips was infuriating. _:Who's to say that stopped some?:_

"Oh my God Lee Donghyuck!"

The doorbell rang and the two snapped their mouths shut at the sound.

“That’s probably him…” Jeno muttered before turning to hiss at Donghyuck a last warning. "Just don't do anything that might freak him out!"

Donghyuck salutes lazily as a reply then resumed to disappear into the kitchen.

"Jeno!" Jaemin engulfed Jeno into a hug from the get-go, Jeno doesn’t understand how his soulmate could familiarize himself so easily with someone who was particularly a stranger to him just a day ago. A stranger who had done him wrong on their second encounter, Jeno mentally winced at the memory of running into Jaemin and spilling Jaemin’s coffee on him.

However it’s not like Jeno’s refusing it anyways. It was a very foreign action coming from someone he haven’t really know well but it was nice. Foreign but nice in a good way.

Besides, their newly formed soul bond’s a great help too in contributing comforting sensations whenever Jaemin’s out to seek physical contact with Jeno as if to tell the other that _it’s alright, don’t be afraid, he’s your soulmate._

And as a bonus, Jaemin’s not wearing a mask to cover up that beautiful face of his.

"I didn't know you were in the same apartment as Jisung. Why didn't you tell me you were apartmentmates with Jisung?"

Jeno abruptly pulls away from the hug to give Jaemin a confused look. "You know a Park Jisung?"

"He's our little dancing prodigy son," Jaemin grinned, wide and bright.

That wasn't the answer Jeno wanted though.

And to think of one of his tutoring student that was… kind of disturbing.

"Well..." Jeno’s voice trailed away while Jaemin laughed at the confused look he made.

Jaemin pinched his cheek as he coos. “Look at you getting all confused,” Jeno shoot him a warning glare to which he laughed at. “If it helps you, I used to babysit him a lot when he was younger because we lived in the same area for a while,” Jaemin explained with an endeared smile because Jeno’s hella adorable when he’s confused.

“Were you serious in driving a car?"

Jeno fished out the car keys from his pocket, holding them right in front of Jaemin’s face. "I might not have one but I got my license a few months back since my sister insisted me to,” his eyes glinted in glee as he gave Jaemin his famous eye-smile. “Lucas was generous enough to let me borrow his car for the whole day," he sighed in relieve and pocketed the keys once more. He had to hide them from Donghyuck after all.

Jaemin hummed, a grin cracking his solemn face. “Sad that our first official date is visiting a sick friend of yours.”

Jeno gave him an apologetic smile. “I’ll ride you to our first beach date when I get a car,” he promised and kept a mental note as to not forget it.

Jaemin eyed him up, a smirk lurking on the edges of his lips and Jeno found himself blushing at the intense scrutiny his boyfriend was giving him. “Wouldn’t mind that,” he shrugged at last. “I have to be the one to bring us to our first most official date anyways.”

Jeno rolled his eyes, he doesn’t know why he’s adapting so easily to Jaemin’s antics. “Jaemin, this is not a competition.”

“Might as well be,” Jaemin leaned forward and kissed his cheek, catching him by surprise. His boyfriend chuckled and slapped his jeans-cladded ass. Jeno yelped at the sudden assault, cheeks burning bright red as he put his hands on his ass.

Shame how Jaemin can’t touch them without the fabric, ah well next time.

“Go and get ready boy, I feel like you’re missing your wallet!”

“You slapped my—!” Jeno hissed and only caught the tail high end of Jaemin’s laughter as the other flashed out of the living room, probably into the kitchen. He sighed, patting his slightly hurt ass as he walked into his bedroom. Whatever, he’ll lecture his boyfriend later about public indecency and harassment.

So much for having a boyfriend slash soulmate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A scream cut through the air, loud and clear.

"Jaemin!"

Wallet and phone in his back pocket Jeno ran out of his bedroom just as Jaemin ran out of the kitchen. The younger hiding himself immediately behind the older, his hands were shaking violently on Jeno’s back as he pressed himself against Jeno as if Jeno’s his shield.

"W-what was that!?” voice harried, breath tickling Jeno’s ears as he whispered the words on Jeno’s skin. “I-I swear th-there was like a g-ghost in the kitchen!"

Jeno's eyes widened.

Jaemin could see Donghyuck?

That’s bizarre but then it was guess because Jaemin’s looking like he saw a fucking ghost which he might’ve saw.

"Y-you can see him?"

"Who?” Wide brown eyes gazed into Jeno’s own, realization suddenly dawning on him. Even in his shock-induced state Jaemin understood what Jeno’s words were implying. “Do you mean the guy who looks kinda alive but not really with a weird string on his pinky and arm? No I can't, of course I can see him!"

Jeno turns to Jaemin and tries to calm him down.

"That's my friend actually so please..."

Jaemin looked at him as he grew three heads right at the spot. "You're actually friends with a ghost? I don't believe this! I thought ghosts weren't real!"

Jaemin’s panicking, his panic thrummed confusedly on their soul bond but Jeno could sympathize on his disbelieve. Jeno couldn’t believe it either when he first saw Donghyuck but he couldn’t care less about it when he met Donghyuck, too busy worrying on his midterms.

"I didn't believe in ghosts either but yes he's real..."

Jaemin stared at him for a few moments then he suddenly grabbed Jeno’s shoulders and pulled him close. "Is he... is he going to murder us?" he whispered, low and hot as if afraid of Donghyuck eavesdropping.

Jeno wanted to laugh at the assumption. Donghyuck might act all tough and shit but he’s just a fluffy person on the inside who watches Disney cartoons and childish animes. "No babe he won't he's just here because of some... complications." Jeno doesn’t really understand why Donghyuck’s here in the first place hence the hospital visit.

Jaemin frowned. "Complications?"

Internally Jeno sighed. This was going to take some time…

"Remember the friend I was talking about yesterday? The one I want him to be happy?" Jeno asked.

Jaemin’s brown eyes stared into his, unwavering. "Its him wasn’t it?"

"Yes,” Jeno nodded slowly. He can’t take his eyes off those mesmerizing whirl of brown eyes of his soulmate. “It’s him Jaemin,” he pursed his lips.

The urge of explaining this whole situation suddenly manifested and refused to leave like a bad itch on his skin. Jeno’s never had anyone to talk about Donghyuck before and when Jaemin here admitted that he could see Donghyuck, he felt like breathing fresh air from constantly drowning himself in suppressed and suffocating air of constrain.

Jaemin’s brown eyes softened in understanding.

The soul bond thrummed in comfort.

They’ll talk about this later, Jeno knows.

"Alright..." Jaemin relaxed, his grin on Jeno’s shoulders slackens and goes up to trace Jeno’s cheeks, warm and soft, comforting. He pressed his forehead against Jeno's, eyes fluttered close. "You really know how to get yourself into weird situations huh Jeno? First was your apartment now this?"

Jeno can’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. "You don't even know half of it Jaemin-ah..."

_:As much as I'd appreciate the fact that your soulmate's freak out show is over, I really don't need to see you guys giving the goo-goo eyes to each other.:_

Jeno sighed, unamused while Jaemin giggled. His soulmate gave him a comforting press on his cheeks before he released his hold on them.

Jeno turned around to face Donghyuck and glared at him. Jaemin, on the other hand, warped an arm around Jeno’s shoulder and peeked up Donghyuck from his shoulder curiously. "Well you scared the shit out of him asshat,” Jeno scowled.

_:I didn't know he could see me:_ Donghyuck grinned.

Point but it’s not like Jeno’s going to relent and let him win this either.

"Do you know how fucking insane I look like to my friends' eyes whenever they come around and you do stupid things?"

The grin Donghyuck sent him aggravated him more than anything because really. _:Your fault for not being able to hold your own laughter in.:_

"Bitch," Jeno ﬂipped Donghyuck the bird.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath to what suspiciously sound like, “amateur.”

"Baby you look hot when you get angry..." Jaemin warped his other arm around Jeno's neck and nuzzled his face on his soulmate’s hair.

Jeno's cheeks ﬂamed instantly.

_:My virgin eyes!:_ There goes Donghyuck being the drama queen that he secretly is.

"So you're Donghyuck?" Jaemin turned his attention back to the ghost tenant, eyes shining with curiosity and something else Jeno couldn’t put a finger on. Jeno hopes its nothing bad however.

Donghyuck flipped his imaginary hair. Funny how that looked when he’s being one of those supernatural. Kind of ironic too to be honest.

_:The one and only.:_

Jaemin beamed like he wasn’t panicking about how there’s a ghost in Jeno’s apartment just a few moments ago. "I'm Jaemin."

Donghyuck rolled his eyes as if it was sports. _:We been knew sis, Jeno's like a girl when he talks about you.:_

Jeno really wants to run his friend with a large grater and dump him in the gutter. They were only talking about Jaemin a few minutes ago for fuck’s sake!

"Oh?" Jaemin raised an elegant eyebrow at Jeno, eyes glinted with glee and mischief, the shit eating grin on his face was smug and honestly so annoying to be looked at. But kind of hot too. Not like Jeno’s going to say that to his face, Jaemin will never let him live it down.

"Are you considering calling me oppa then Jen?"

Oho, Jeno ain’t backing down on this.

"You'll be calling me daddy by then," Jeno disclosed the argument with a smile and Jaemin was caught off-guard by that, eyes widened, mouth opening to gape openly at him at the sudden rush of red coloring his face.

Oh and hey look, his soulmate flushes adorably like a tomato.

"I—"

_:Look whose a blushing mess now,:_ Donghyuck sneered and Jaemin pulled his tongue out childishly in reply though his cheeks were burning brightly. Jeno sighed, feeling Jaemin burying his face on the side of his neck, the other's hair itching his skin.

"Jaemin and Donghyuck please stop it," he grumbled.

Donghyuck clicked his tongue as he folded his arms on his chest. He frowned, tilting his head and looking at Jaemin as if he was a new species on Earth. Jaemin moved to hide behind Jeno once more but it was futile considering he was taller than Jeno by just a few centimeters. Having a bigger body built wasn’t helping him either.

Donghyuck narrowed his eyes, tapping his foot. _:How can he see me anyways?:_

Jaemin snorted, his head peeking over Jeno’s shoulder as he pouted. "That's what I'd like to know too genius. The freakiest thing I've ever seen were the red strings of fate!"

Jeno almost had a whiplash when he turned to look at Jaemin so quickly, eyes wide in surprise. "Wait so you can see the strings too?"

"Sorry I—” Jaemin’s sheepish look morphed into one of surprise as he looked up at Jeno quickly with wide eyes. His brain having caught what was entailed by what Jeno had just said. “Wait too!?"

Now it’s Jeno’s turn to be sheepish. "I may have or may have not told you that I can see those strings..."

"You certainly didn't tell me that!"

“Well you didn’t either!”

_:Guys your love quarrel is giving me a headache!:_ Haechan screamed over their voices which effectively shutting their mouths and stopping them from advancing their bicker even further.

"How about... let's all just sit down and think about it before we go?" Jeno suggested after a beat of silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jaemin theorizes that since Jeno could see Donghyuck, Jaemin as Jeno's soulmate could see him too. Jeno is skeptical about that theory and Donghyuck outright refuted that theory since _it's weird_ —in his words. Donghyuck offered that maybe because they could see weird things like the strings of fate then maybe it's a green for all weird things too like ghosts. Jaemin claimed that he haven't seen any ghost until his encounter with Donghyuck and Jeno agreed with him on that too. Not to mention the weird string of fate Donghyuck has…

All in all they were only busy arguing back and forth in the end, in Donghyuck and Jaemin's case mostly.

They were almost late for their supposedly-date which is unfortunately not a date.

"Why did you pinch me?" Jaemin nursed his sore arm where Jeno had pinched him, preventing him from saying the location of their date-so-not-date at the front door of Jeno’s apartment room.

Jeno glared at his soulmate, if anything that he had learned from interacting with Jaemin for just about two days it was that the other was a bit slow at the uptake at things. "Because you were going to tell him where we were going!"

Jaemin screwed his eyebrows together in confusion, lips tugged forward into a slight pout. "But what's wrong with telling Donghyuck that you're gonna go and visit a friend in the hospital?"

Jeno moved his gaze away from his soulmate, suddenly finding the buttons of the elevator interesting. The ‘B’ button was surrounded by white light, it had been pushed by Jaemin a few minutes ago, leading them to where Lucas’s car was parked just half an hour ago.

Jeno hadn’t really told Jaemin anything but…

"You'll see..." he told Jaemin as the elevator dings and the metal double doors slide open.

They walked out of the elevator quietly, Jeno leading the two member party to where the car he’s borrowing was located.

Jaemin whistled when he saw the red jeep wrangler. He turned and gave Jeno an amused smile as he stares.

Uncomfortable by the intense gaze Jaemin was giving him, Jeno shot him a look. “What is it?”

Jaemin smiled and dropped his head down with a shake as if telling Jeno to dismiss what Jaemin had done. Jeno had no clue what was going on and motioned to Jaemin to get in as he does so himself. Jaemin chuckled, pulling the door open to the shotgun and hoisted himself inside.

Jaemin kept himself entertained throughout the ride. He talked about random things like how Jeno should definitely change the light bulbs of his small living room and scamming Lucas to give him a free car so they could totally make their beach date happen, he kept on switching radio frequencies because he wants to listen to those songs he had taken interest on and when Jeno’s too tired to talk he held his hand at red lights.

The ride was fairly long about thirty minutes or so from Tangerine Apartment and when the huge building of Seoul National University Hospital loomed against their car, Jeno glanced at his soulmate and found him looking onwards in silence, brown eyes devoid of any readable emotion.

“Wait here,” Jeno said.

Jaemin’s awfully quiet ever since he stepped on to the main building of SNU hospital, he noticed as Jaemin’s hold on his hand loosens and dropped to his side. Jeno’s hand felt oddly cold at the loss of contact so he stuffed his hand into his pocket to get the feeling of something warm. It wasn’t entirely helping.

It’s a place he’s beginning to familiarize himself with, Jeno realized as Jaemin nodded dully and seated himself on an empty seat in the aisle of chairs in the waiting room. He’s a medical student after all.

The smell of antiseptic and squeaky clean things clung on his nose like parched land, he’s starting to get a bit angst-y which was weird because Jeno never really felt uncomfortable being in a hospital before.

Renjun had messaged him that a nurse going by the name Park Sooyoung will come to get them but Jeno doesn’t know how this Park Sooyoung looks like.

He swept his eyes around, noticing the reception desk just a few steps away from where he’s standing.

“I’ll just go there and ask,” he muttered figuring that the nurse will wait for them by the reception desk if not well at least she will be informed that a guest’s waiting for her in the waiting area.

“I’ll be back,” Jeno flashed Jaemin a smile and walked his way to the reception desk.

“I’m sorry sir,” a young lady stood in front of him, hand outstretched as she stopped him from moving onward. Jeno turned to her, confused and hesitant, noticing how she was dressed in pristine nurse clothing and held a paper board on her other hand. Her dark eyes were questioning, lips taut and face fragile of an emotion Jeno couldn’t pinpoint.

“I’m sorry for interrupting but are you perhaps Lee Jeno?” she asked, voice steady yet unsure.

"U-Uhm,” Jeno swallowed. He hates how nervous he gets when he’s talking to people especially strangers. “Yes, yes I’m Lee Jeno,” Jeno confirmed with a nod of his head. “Are you...” he tilted his head slightly as he looked at her. “Park Sooyoung-ssi?”

Her dark eyes softened, dimming just a fraction as she smiled at Jeno. Jeno doesn’t understand where the sudden sadness in her eyes came from. “Just call me Sooyoung-noona but yes I am, good to ﬁnally meet the person that's close to Donghyuck other than Chenle and Mark," she said.

Jeno returned her smile in kind. "And you're the nurse who takes care of Donghyuck. Thank you very much for that noona."

“No problem,” her smile widened. “Shall we get going?"

"Ah, my soulmate's here too actually. Can he come?" Jeno asked, almost forgetting that he brought Jaemin along with him.

Sooyoung chuckled, "I don't mind."

“Jaemin!” Jeno warped his fingers around Jaemin’s wrist to catch the other’s attention. Jaemin made a querying sound but lets himself be dragged by Jeno towards a young lady, a nurse by the looks of it, who’s standing just on the side of the hallway.

"Joy-sunbaenim?" Jaemin gasped when he got a good look of the person in front of him, not believing his eyes that it’s his senior who had graduated last year who’s standing right there in this hospital. When she had graduated she had told him she was going to work in a hospital, Jaemin just didn’t know it would be his university’s hospital.

Sooyoung’s eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my... Jaemin?"

Jeno’s confused, glancing back and forth between Jaemin and Sooyoung as if he’s watching a tennis match. "You know each other?"

Jaemin grinned, "She’s my senior who graduated last year."

Sooyoung nodded with a smile. "And he’s my favorite junior,” Jaemin beamed in reply to that. Sooyoung covered her mouth with her hand and gave out a little laugh. “It’s really unexpected to meet you here Jaemin but it’s nice to know that you finally got to meet your soulmate,” she said. “I hope you two take care of each other.”

Jaemin grabbed Jeno’s hand in his, smiling widely at his senior. “We will!”

Jeno’s heart fluttered a little at the reply Jaemin gave his senior, ducking his head down with a shy smile on his lips as his chest warming at a foreign feeling. The feeling may be foreign but it wasn’t uncomfortable nor unwelcomed. It also felt nice.

Sooyoung chuckled. “Well, come on then! Visiting hours will end soon.”

“Here it is,” Sooyoung motioned to the wooden double doors in front of them, she had led them to a sector of private rooms provided by the hospital for those who’re going to be staying in the hospital for a while.

Or some forever, Jeno lamented gravely.

“I hope you two visit often,” she spoke up with a small smile as she turned towards the two soulmates. “I’ve never really see him have any visitors aside from his soulmate, Renjun and Chenle.”

Jaemin stood silently as Jeno squeezed his hand and smiled at Sooyoung. “We’ll come visit as often as we can,” he told her.

Sooyoung’s smile stretched wider, “thank you Jeno and Jaemin. Enjoy your visit.”

The soft shuffling sound of Sooyoung’s footwear disappears slowly and Jaemin watches as Jeno steadies himself to get in.

Who was inside the room that could make Jeno this nervous, Jaemin wondered.

Jeno turned to give his soulmate a determined look.

“Let’s go.”

Jeno twisted the door knob and slowly opened the door, taking in the white walls, beige curtains, reflecting glass windows and how ashen and fragile Donghyuck looked under the white sheets on the only large furniture in the room.

"D-Donghyuck?"

Jaemin was the one who moved forward first, taking his hand off Jeno’s to get a better look at his new friend who’s laying out cold and yet _physical_ on the hospital bed. He gently took Donghyuck’s hand in his, running a thumb over those pale knuckles, lips downturned into that sad curve. "You poor thing..."

He doesn’t understand how there’s two Donghyuck. How there’s one living and acting as if alive but was actually a ghost in Jeno’s apartment. How there’s another one lying unmoving, bedridden with a steady heartbeat yet not awake and alive in a hospital bed in SNU hospital.

Those two contradicting things made him sick to the stomach and yet when he turned to Jeno to ask, his questions died on his lips because Jeno’s staring emptily at Donghyuck and not saying anything. He couldn’t even feel anything from Jeno’s soul bond when he reached out to the other.

And that scared him even more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The visit was short, they only stayed for around ﬁfteen minutes, Jaemin sitting beside the bedridden physical body of Donghyuck’s while Jeno stood at the side, giving glances to the bedridden boy for just a few seconds every now and then. Sooyoung came not long after and seems to be understanding the situation they were in, she promptly suggested them kindly to leave. They parted ways and as Jeno and Jaemin walked back to the parking lot, there was a heavy silence hanging in the air.

"So..." Jaemin started as they passed a few rows of parked cars. He’s been itching to say something in regard to whatever was going on here but seeing how terrifyingly empty and dead Jeno’s eyes looked as continued to stare at Donghyuck’s sleeping form, Jaemin had refrained himself from anything in the hospital room but now that they’re out in the warmth of evening day, Jaemin felt bold. He wants to know what’s going on. He wants to know what his soulmate’s thinking. And ultimately he wants to help.

“What was that about, Jeno-yah?"

Jeno gave him a sideway glance, not too long for him to catch the name of the emotion hidden behind those brown eyes and not too short for him to feel like Jeno’s dismissing him. "Donghyuck's in a comatose state because of hanahaki.”

Jaemin blinked. Jeno had said it so noncahalantly, as if hanahaki meant nothing to him.

"Hanahaki?” he ventured slowly. “But doesn't that illness kills?"

Jeno’s shoulders drooped at his words, "that's what makes it so confusing... even Donghyuck’s sure that he's dead. It’s what he told me when I noticed him living in my apartment. He's convinced that he's dead. I was convinced too and well when I wanted to know what happened to him this happened."

Jeno’s frustrated. Not only was his voice laced with unmasked agitation, the soul bond they shared was thumping with it like some rock song waiting for its bass drop to happen that would never come.

Jaemin racked his brain to say something else, to approach this at a different light.

"Well... are you going to tell him about this?"

"About?" Still nonchalant, still unfeeling. It hurts Jaemin to see Jeno like this.

"That he's not dead yet,” Jaemin pressed on. He doesn’t want Jeno to continue being this unfeeling and nonchalant person. He remembered just how bright and full of life Jeno could be in those little moments he had saw on the street with the little girl, on the phone talking hurriedly and clumsily bumping on him in the small grocery store, on the swing in the dark of the night with the whistling winds and lastly inside the comfort of the older’s apartment room with Donghyuck.

Jaemin had used to cover the words written on the skin of his right cheekbone this whole time because he had convinced himself that his soulmate didn’t love him for who he was and only would love him for his looks alone but Jeno had proved him wrong that night. Even with all the black clothes, cap and _hell_ mask Jaemin wore, Jeno had uttered the words tattooed on Jaemin’s cheekbone.

The words had burnt, the tingling senses were oddly pleasant and Jaemin couldn’t help but to let himself fall for the other.

They might not be in the phase where they love each other unconditionally yet but they’re getting there, Jaemin knows this and he’s confident they’ll get there someday.

“That he's still here hospitalized at our own university's hospital, in a coma,” Jaemin continued.

Jeno abruptly stopped, head ducked down and fists clenched.

Jaemin pursed his lips. This wasn’t the reaction he wanted….

He slowly reached out to the other. Jeno’s hands were trembling and he could only hope for the best as he cupped those hands in his. His hands were bigger than Jeno’s, just by a faction really, but that made everything felt right about it. They were really meant to be for each other.

"Jeno baby... you have to tell him about it," he said softly.

"But what if that only makes it worse?” Jeno’s voice was shaking, his whole body was shaking and Jaemin felt himself crack at the devastation of his soulmate’s end of their soul bond. “What if he'll kill himself when he knows he's not fully dead yet? He resents himself for living as a ghost as it is so what if...” Jeno took a shaky breathe as his eyes met Jaemin’s.

“He'll disappear for real?" he whispered, frightened.

Jeno holds back his tears and Jaemin could only melt at those teary eyes, moving forward to warp Jeno in his arms. Jaemin’s biting down violently on his lower lip to hold himself back from breaking down too because he understands. He understands what Jeno will lose from this, _who_ Jeno will lose from this.

Jeno took a shaky breathe, biting back his cries because he knows that crying will not solve anything and buried himself in Jaemin's arms, shoulders shaking.

Donghyuck the sharp-tongued yet nice roommate. An annoying little shit who can’t stop bothering and making fun of Jeno yet a comfortable friend whom he could confide on. He might’ve been scaring people for shits and giggles but there were times he did that to get a crack of smile from Jeno. Their fights were of siblings, their bickers of friends and their laughs of loved ones.

Despite everything, Jeno views Donghyuck as a friend.

A very close friend.

Jaemin ran a hand on his back and hair, pressing comforting kisses on his temple as he cried. He doesn’t even notice when he broke his dam and let out those stupid tears out.

Jaemin knows he’s stepped and drowned himself and Jeno in dangerous waters but he can’t help it. Jeno needs to let Donghyuck knows. Donghyuck’s his friend, the person who’s business Jeno had dunked himself into.

"Jeno... you have to tell him one day..."

Jeno’s grasped to hold him, nails digging on his sleeves and skin. "But I don't want him to go..." he reasoned, weak and torn.

"He’s a selﬁsh fucker..." Jeno sniffled as he dug his head deeper into the crook of Jaemin’s neck, wetting the other’s shirt with a fresh batch of tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sound of something sizzling caught Jeno’s attention but he ignored it at first, thinking that it will disappear if he ignores it. The sound died down but burst louder as it came back to life and Jeno who was still sleeping was forced to wake up. He slowly flutter his eyes open, mind still a bit disoriented.

He slowly moved to his side, facing the window. Taking in the way the light danced through the curtains, it’s mid-morning.

Jeno slowly sat up, yawning. He swept his eyes lazily on his surroundings, though it was dark he could still make out some of the things around him. The messy study table, clothes piled up inside the laundry basket, the neatly closed wardrobe and the foreign jacket draped on his chair.

He scratched his head as he rubbed his stomach with his other arm, trying to piece the events that had happened yesterday.

He moved a bit to pull back the curtain of his room, squinting his eyes when the sunlight hit his face. He reached for his glasses blindly, accidentally knocking off something from the nightstand.

Grunting, he bent down to pick his phone but when he got a hold of it, the phone felt foreign to him. He made a quizzical sound, flipping the phone around as if he could find what was so wrong about the phone.

He laid back down on the bed, getting a whiff of a foreign yet pleasant smell from the pillow next to him and suddenly it hit him.

_(:Don't take the couch! Go sleep with Jeno!:)_

_(:Go and be gross to each other in the bedroom because I refuse to see it! But don't you dare do xxx or make out heavily in there because I refuse to be sexiled!:)_

Jaemin.

Jeno’s eyes widened and the phone came to life, he had accidentally clicked the unlock button. He was met with the picture of his face at night on a park. A blush slowly crept on his cheeks, Jaemin had definitely took that picture when he wasn’t looking at the day they met for the third and yet official time.

A curve of a smile appeared on his lips as he lifts himself up. Ah, now he remembered.

After breaking down, Jaemin and Jeno changed seats so it was Jaemin who drove them all the way to Tangerine Apartment, taking a detour to a fast food restaurant ﬁrst to eat some late dinner then when they arrived at Tangerine Apartment  Jaemin had refused to go back to his place and leaving Jeno alone to his own devices.

Donghyuck had he pushed Jeno and Jaemin towards Jeno's bedroom right at the instant they opened their mouths to argue, shouting things as he does so. He had been quiet ever since Jeno and Jaemin came in, sensing the unknown tension between them. Jeno's grateful he didn't ask.

Jeno placed Jaemin’s phone back to its previous place and wore his glasses. He walked out from his bedroom and wasn’t surprised to ﬁnd Donghyuck laying lazily on the couch like a groomed spoiled lion.

_:At last the sleeping beauty wake,:_ Donghyuck sneered and Jeno gave him a flat look in reply, he doesn’t want to deal with Donghyuck’s shit this early so he let his legs continue to move to where the kitchen was located where Jaemin’s cooking fried rice.

"Morning!" Jaemin smiled, voice chirpy as he cooks. Jaemin’s hair still in that messy tousled form, face bare, eyes sparkling and smile wide. He’s in Jeno’s Naruto black shirt and ridiculously ugly green shorts and yet, he still looked like he’s fit to be a model of some magazine.

"Why... are you cooking?" Jeno asks, remembering last night's event.

He’s pretty sure Jaemin’s just as exhausted as he was when they arrived late at the apartment. He feels guilty too for imposing Jaemin on any of this to be honest. He was the one drove because Jeno couldn’t do it without a clear thinking mind last night, he was the one who took Jeno back up to the apartment, he was the one who performed the simple tasks Jeno didn’t want to like taking off his socks and brushing his teeth and now he’s cooking.

 Jaemin’s just otherworldly.

"Do you think I should cook for Donghyuck too?" Jaemin asked instead with a cute tilt of his head.

Jeno nodded at that, "he might not act like it but he loves food."

"Explains the snacks piled up in the drawers and the overall of too much food for one in other places," Jaemin chuckled. Jeno shrugged, feeling bold and confident, he moved forward to plant a kiss on the other's lips.

A peck, just a brief touch of their lips.

"He's a freeloader here," Jeno grumbled, running a hand through his messy dark hair. “Thank you babe," he smiled.

“Don’t go just yet,” the corner of Jaemin’s lips lifted as he circled his fingers around Jeno’s wrist. Jeno let out a confused sound to which he chuckled at. “Not after what you did,” he said as he turned off the stove.

Jeno felt heat rising on his cheeks as Jaemin slowly lead his arms around the younger’s waist, Jaemin’s own arms warping around Jeno’s neck. A flash of Jaemin’s lock screen appeared on his mind as he averted his eyes away from Jaemin’s. Jaemin chuckled lowly at the shyness Jeno’s showing, Jeno’s ears prickled with heat at the sound. Deep, low and sexy.

…Did he just thought about that?

“Jeno-ya,” at the endearing way Jaemin called Jeno’s name, his heart stuttered. He slowly met Jaemin’s intense gaze and by just looking at those brown eyes Jeno knows that he was going to be lost in them if he stared at them for too long.

But that’s okay. It’s alright.

Their soul bond hummed in harmony, desire, want and something more.

And Jeno doesn’t even remember when they had pulled into each other or when had he closed his eyes, he only realized he’s kissing Jaemin when he felt those slightly chapped lips press against his for a longer and a much more meaningful kiss.

Just as Jaemin pulls away Jeno chased after his lips, wanting to know how they taste and felt one more time.

“Feisty,” Jaemin’s chuckle rumbled against his chest as they exchanged kisses once more. His arms were placed around the other’s neck as they try to press themselves even closer, tilting their heads left and right to find the right position and the best way to kiss. It was awkward and foreign like all first kisses were but at the same time it was perfect.

Jeno and Jaemin giggled when their nose knocked against each other. “I think we should stop,” Jeno said keeping his voice low as to not gain the attention of a certain ghost residing in the apartment. “As much as I don’t want to…”

“Then why do we need to stop?” Jaemin cocked an eyebrow with that sly slide of a smirk on his face. As annoying as it was to see the younger wearing this expression, Jeno found it hot. “Let’s just keep on kissing until our lips bruise, how’s that?” he suggested.

Jeno laughed, squeezing his arms around Jaemin’s waist. “Sounds nice but I’ve got a better plan,” he paused for a dramatic effect, eyes lighting up.

“Breakfast.”

Jaemin’s lips took a sharp downturn at his words. “Breakfast? You would pick breakfast over my kisses?” he’s whining and oh damn, its adorable.

“Hmm…” Jeno hummed.

“Well your kisses are okay,” Jeno decided to tease his other half.

“Unbelievable,” Jaemin frowned. “I’m stuck being soulmates with someone who would pick breakfast over my amazing kisses!”

Jeno threw his head back and laughed heartily, it made a wide goofy grin appear on Jaemin’s face because well, he made _that_ happen. He made Jeno happy, even for just a brief moment. The strumming of a happy thrill made by their soul bond could be felt on his bones.

Jeno press their foreheads together, tilting his head up a bit to press sweet peck on his soulmate’s lips. “You’re so cute,” he said and Jaemin chuckled as he held his soulmate closer then he did before. “I love your kisses more don’t worry,” Jeno smiled. “But really though, my stomach is grumbling for some breakfast.”

Jaemin snorted, giving those red lips of his soulmate’s one last kiss. “Let’s eat then,” he told the other. He was getting quite hungry too now that he thought about it.

Jeno gave Jaemin’s waist a squeeze, taking one last look at his red lips, blushing cheeks and bright face.

He’s truly beautiful.

“Go and get Donghyuck before you get distracted again yeah?” Jaemin’s lips curve into a teasing smile.

Jeno brushed the words on Jaemin’s skin, liking how the heat of those words against his skin felt. Their soul bond was literally singing. _‘You’re beautiful,’_ it said and Jaemin’s really beautiful. Jaemin’s never going to hide those words from him ever again, he’s going to make Jaemin promise him that because those words spoke volumes of Jaemin.

“I will,” Jeno patted Jaemin’s cheek and laid a kiss on that spot before he’s running out of the kitchen.

And if Donghyuck noticed the bruised lips and the blush on Jeno’s face when he came to get him, he made no comment about it but he did roll his eyes behind Jeno’s back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YangYang frowned when he caught sight of Jeno at Friday morning inside an empty classroom. Figures the brunet would be inside the class thirty minutes early not like everyone else because he’s such a damn early bird.

“You don’t usually skip,” he said as his greeting, shoving Jeno’s shoulder at a show of displeasure just as he sat down on his seat. “You left me to fend for myself at Fluid Mech! Did you know how torturous it was Jeno?”

Jeno didn’t look guilty one bit, his smile too bright for such a shitty Friday. It was shitty alright because they have three lectures back-to-back from the early morning to the dust of evening. Not to mention the practicum right after those lectures. Jeno’s too bright for this shitty day, he might never show his displeasure on it before but he wasn’t really that happy to be in university at Fridays.

This was a suspicious behavior of Jeno’s.

“You’re too damn bright for a Friday,” YangYang said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he gave his friend a look. He twisted on his waist to get a better look on his friend. “Alright asshole, tell me what’s up,” he demanded with his hands resting on his hips and the most deadly look he could ever muster on his face.

Jeno looked sheepish to that at least. “Well… it’s not really much I guess. I had used Lucas’s car—”

“You know Lucas-ge?” YangYang blinked.

Jeno stared at him for a second, eyebrows raised. “Don’t tell me you joined that dance group with no name that Lucas is in…” he said slowly and if YangYang wasn’t close to him he wouldn’t have heard what the other was saying.

“We’re not no-name any longer Jeno,” YangYang grinned. “Damn that was a reference straight to Mondaiji-tachi, missed that great anime,” he shed a fake tear.

Jeno’s eyebrows are raised higher. “What?”

“Inside joke,” YangYang waved it off with a smile. “But anyways we’re not no-name anymore Jen. We do have a name! Its NCT Neo Culture Technology wohooo!” he cheered, too loudly for the classroom but he doesn’t care, typical of YangYang.

Good thing the class is still empty except for them two.

“So…” Jeno drawled lazily. “You’re in the troupe after all…”

The Chinese gave him a blinding smile. “Yep! You’re great at dancing too! I was there when you literally did that b-boy thing in the freshmen party at Lucas’s place! You should definitely join!”

“Maybe later,” Jeno cursed himself for exposing his dancing ability in his first year. He had wanted to lay low from the university’s dance troupe but ever since his drunk self did that… he had to get into a sports club to get them to stop demanding him to join the troupe. Though YangYang’s troupe wasn’t university based, it might actually be better.

But then… Donghyuck.

He has to think about the whole Donghyuck thing first.

Oh and he had skipped yesterday’s classes too, he has to catch up to them too.

“I’ll think about it but maybe later,” he smiled. “Can I have your notes on yesterday’s classes?”

YangYang rolled his eyes. “Its in our shared Google Docs moron,” he huffed. “Why did you skip yesterday anyways? It’s so not Jeno-behavior. Did you skip on teaching too?”

Did YangYang just used him as a verb?

“As much as I’d love to take a day off at tutoring, I can’t. Hyun’s going to make me watch all the princess movies with her if I do and you know that I don’t have the time for it,” YangYang snorted at the threat because _really,_ and Jeno fucking fell for that trick? Gold.

“Jisung’s holding my quality time with my soulmate as hostage though. Can you believe that? Unbelievable!” Jeno threw his hands in the air in exaggeration, frustrated and completely missing the gaping expression on YangYang’s face.

Jeno glanced at YangYang and winced, realizing what he had just blurted out.

“Jeno!”

Jeno’s saved by whoever it was calling him.

Blonde hair and wide grins in an early Friday morning was Lee Felix standing just outside the door of the class. He’s an international relations student who’s supposed to be in a different building and yet what was he doing here waving and standing right in front of Jeno’s Mechanics and Design class?

The blonde then beckoned at Jeno to come to him and with the way he’s frantically doing that particular action, it was important.

“I’ll be back in a sec,” Jeno told YangYang as he scrambled from his seat.

“Yah! You better tell me about whatever shit’s going on in your life later!”

Jeno ignored YangYang as how he usually does but kept a mental note on how YangYang would be bitching about this later. He warped his fingers around Felix’s wrist and dragged him down the hall to a corner just a few classes away from his class.

He swept over Felix’s form, blonde hair, new cross earrings dangling from his ear, bright face, sheepish smile, clothes that are always way too stylish for a university student he’s better off in a catwalk and yet his high school friend looked way for the better than the last time they talked to each other which was months ago.

But Jeno can’t deny the unsettling feeling inside his stomach.

“I thought we were not talking?”

 The smile on Felix’s lips dimmed just the slightest. “We weren’t,” he agreed with a nod of his head. “But you know how it is with me. As much as we fight, you know I’ll be the one coming back to you like the ungrateful leech I am.”

“You’re the closest person I’ve ever considered as a best friend ever since high school,” a smile slowly stretched on Jeno’s lips as he gazed into those dark eyes of Felix’s. “I know you needed your time with what I had just said about your girlfriend too. And I’m sorry for hurting you by saying it…”

Felix’s eyes sparkled with tears, ah his best friend has always been someone who’s easily waned by emotions. “You seriously still want to be my best friend after what h-h-happened?” His voice cracked as he held Jeno’s hands in his.

Jeno couldn’t help but smile. “Look, I was the one to hurt you I should be the one asking that.”

“I hurt you too dumbass, I shouted at you, shoved you away and all,” Felix sniffled and the tears started to run down his face. “A-And sorry that I have t-to have this conversation this e-early in the morning w-when you have c-class.”

“You also have class this morning idiot,” Jeno pulled the other close, warping his arms around his best friend’s shaking form. He ran a comforting hand down Felix’s spine, cajoling him to relax. Felix’s arms warped around him and buries his face on the crook of Jeno’s neck, wetting Jeno’s collar.

“Idiot you’ll ruin my shirt,” Jeno joked and Felix snorted out a laugh on his neck. Jeno cracked a grin, relieved that he had at least lifted his best friend’s mood even if only a bit. “Don’t get snot all over me kay? This is my best shirt.”

Felix let out a broken laugh, half sobbing as he playfully shoves Jeno away from him. “Stop being a dick for once will you?” he brought Jeno back into the hug. “I’m only going to say this once and only once, I missed you,” he said, pressing the words on Jeno’s skin.

Jeno crinkled his nose in disgust. “You’re such a disgusting sap, why are we friends?”

Felix choked out a laugh, hitting Jeno lightly on his shoulder as he pulled himself away from his best friend. “Yah! Since when was your tongue this sharp asshole?” Despite the tears running down his cheeks, there was a fond smile on his face. “You insulted me straight through my five minute apology session, I don’t know if I’m surprised or—”

Jeno’s lips stretched into a grin, putting his arms around the younger’s body and taking him into yet another hug. “I’m glad you’re talking to me now,” he said. Felix’s arms circled around his body, hugging him back. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Felix nodded, eyes gleaming with a fresh batch of tears. “I’m sorry for being an ass. For not listen to you about Hana’s lies,” he closed his eyes as Jeno wiped the tears away. “I’m sorry,” he continued. “I should’ve listened to you when you said she was lying to me the whole time, lying about me being her soulmate, lying about not going behind my back. You’re my friend, I should’ve listened to you more than her…”

“It’s alright,” Jeno smiled and pressed a comforting kiss on the other’s temple. “I forgave you a long time ago Lix,” he ran his thumbs under his best friend’s eyes to wipe away the tears. “I understand why you acted that way alright? Hana’s the first ever girl you dated.”

“Shut up, I don’t want to hear her name.”

“Noted,” Jeno hummed. “Good thing that I came to class early, you should be happy the professor wasn’t here yet,” he told the younger. “Look at me being so kind to you.”

“You’d skip the class if I asked,” Felix pointed out with a sniffle as he rubbed his teary face with the sleeves of his shirt.

Point.

Jeno sighed, rubbing his face with his hand. “I don’t want to skip classes for today though, I already skipped yesterday as it is.”

Felix’s eyes widened in surprise, suddenly straightening his back. “You skipped?” he asked, sounding offended as if Jeno had just committed a crime. “What kind of alternate dimension did we jump into?”

Jeno shoved him lightly. Just because he’s a diligent person who had never skipped classes before doesn’t mean he’s a saint who won’t skip because there has always been the possibility of him skipping one day. “You’re exaggerating,” he told the other. “You make it sound as if the world’s ending…”

“Well you’re acting out of character if you haven’t noticed,” Felix sniffled. He fished out a tissue from his bag, dabbing his face with it. “You suddenly gained a sharp tongue, use sarcasm and skipping classes. Holy shit I missed a lot of things haven’t I?”

Jeno thought about moving out of his apartment, Donghyuck, Lucas, Renjun and Jaemin and all the other events that subsequently followed. Well, his best friend sure did miss a whole lot of events.

“Three months is a long time,” he said instead. “We haven’t talked since March and its already May right now so yeah…”

Felix grimaced. “Sorry...”

“Stop saying that,” Jeno let out a deep sigh as he rubbed Felix’s arm softly. “You’re my best friend Felix, you know I’d forgive you no matter what.”

Felix shrugged his shoulders, putting his used tissue inside his pocket. “Well you missed a lot of things too in my life Jen,” he shot his best friend a smile.

“I found my soulmate.”

Jeno nodded his head, lips quirked into a smile. “I know, I saw. Didn’t know your type was the broody ones.”

Felix laughed, wide and open. “That ability of yours is hella freaky at times you know that mate?” he shook his head at Jeno when their eyes met as if he can’t believe they were even friends in the first place. Jeno could relate to that.

Jeno warped an around around his best friend’s shoulder and squeezed. Felix hummed, leaning against him in the one arm side hug.

“We really have to talk,” Jeno stated.

“Not now,” Felix piped. He lifted his head up to look at his best friend, eyes still rimmed with red but the smile’s on his face still tact and fond. “We can catch up later, it’s gonna take a while and you know that. You’ve got class too remember?”

Felix always had the weird knack of slipping a smile on Jeno’s face. “And you’re in the wrong building,” he noted.

Felix groaned while Jeno’s smile widened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Let’s hang out again sometime!” YangYang cheered as he warped an arm around Jinyoung who had just returned the bowling shoes over the counter.

“If we even _have_ time in the first place,” Jinyoung grumbled. He got dragged by YangYang to their small circle of friends who were waiting for them.

Lucas who had heard what Jinyoung said made the finger guns at the younger, face amused. “You got that right my man.”

Felix rolled his eyes as Jinyoung and Lucas high-fived. “You know guys it depends on us in the end,” he told them. “If we make time for us to hang out then we’ll hang out and if we don’t well then we don’t.”

“So philosophic,” Jinyoung snickered. “Thought you majored in anthropology Felix.”

“Why you—”

“Jungwoo-hyung is going to kick us out if we make another scene,” Jeno reminded his friends as he slung his bag over his shoulders. He gabbed Jaemin’s hand, “Let’s get out of here before these idiots ruined everything for us soulmate.”

“You are disgusting,” YangYang jeered to which Jeno ignored because the redness of Jaemin’s cheeks was the only thing he needed and wanted.

“I’m stuck babysitting idiots,” Felix muttered under his breath with a shake of his head.

“It’s sad that we can’t go to dinner together,” the oldest of them sigh sadly. “Alright, I’m gonna head out,” Lucas announced as he spun his car keys on his finger. “Who needs a ride?”

“Me! Me! Me!” YangYang and Jinyoung were instantly jumping on their feet with their hands raised like little children who were offered free sweets.

Lucas’s lips created an amused smile though he sighed, exasperated. Trust YangYang and Jinyoung to be so extra. “What about the three of you?”

“I’m heading to Changbin-hyung’s place that is right around this area,” Felix said though his mind and hands were busy trying to get tie those long fat ribbons acting as cuffs on his sleeves. “Dammit, these things won’t just—”

Jeno went over to him, warping those ribbons around his wrist acting like a cuff then tied the ribbons perfectly into a bow. “My place isn’t far from here so it’s okay if I walk,” Jeno pipes in. “Jaemin’s sleeping over at my place too so, ah! Give me your other hand Lix.”

“Alright see you guys later then,” Lucas saluted. Jinyoung and YangYang said their goodbyes too before the three of them headed out of 127.

“Isn’t Lucas’s boyfriend working in 127 though?” Felix asked aloud as Jeno tied a bow to his other sleeve.

“Jungwoo-hyung does work here but Lucas said he’s not here as of the moment,” Jeno explained. “Something about being an intern at some place? I don’t know.”

Felix hummed as he checked over the neatly tied bows on his sleeves. “Thanks Jen,” he grinned “hope these little ones last for the long walk all the way to Changbin-hyung’s house.”

Jeno smiled, “knowing you it won’t last half-way down the road travelling to his place.”

Felix giggled and didn’t deny that. He shouldered his bag and waved at Jeno and Jaemin. “Alright then, I’ll see you around guys! Today was fun, bye!”

Jeno and Jaemin waved, watching as Felix went out of the crowded building.

Jaemin turned to Jeno, a lilt of a smile playing on the edges of his face. “Your friends are nice and cool,” he told the other, arms making its way around his soulmate’s waist as he placed his chin on the strong shoulder of Jeno’s.

“I wish Donghyuck’s here though,” Jeno turned to him with a solemn smile. “He’s my friend too. Best friend even.”

Jaemin hummed, pressing his face on the side of Jeno’s neck. “Felix would have competition then. I would have competition too.”

“Why would you have?” Jeno asked, putting his hands on Jaemin’s arms that were warped around him. Jaemin’s physical contact was beginning to feel familiar and comforting, he seeks them out nowadays even.

“Just a speculation,” Jaemin giggled and dropped his arms from Jeno’s waist as he straightened his back. Jeno frowned, reaching his hand out to hold Jaemin’s and squeezed it. He hates it when Jaemin’s acting this way, there was certainly something he’s hiding from Jeno and yet Jeno still has no clue about what it is he’s hiding. The other end of his soul bond refused to let him know what his other half is feeling.

But it’s fine. They’re soulmates who had just met recently and Jeno knows that you can’t really open up to someone in an instant, even if they are your soulmate. So Jeno will wait for Jaemin.

Jeno squeezed Jaemin’s hand and hopes the other would understand what he’s trying to tell wordlessly.

“We should hang out like this more often, you should go out more often Jeno,” Jaemin spoke up as he squeezed Jeno’s hand back with a smile. “You know what? Let’s hang out with my friends next time how about that?”

Jeno smiled back and nodded. “Wait how about if we get my group of friends together with your group of friends. That will be so much better.”

“Well I hope those four don’t mind socializing with new people,” Jaemin laughed. “I mean my friends could be rowdy sometimes.”

“Who said mine wasn’t?” Jeno grinned and Jaemin laughed louder.

Jeno laughed along, glad that Jaemin’s mood is lifted.

They walked out of the crowded building, strolling down the lane in silence, taking in the beautiful scenery of May in all its glory. Jaemin pointed out things along the way like _look at that cute puppy Jeno! I wish I had one_ , _ah! I just remembered, do you want to watch the new detective movie that just came out later this weekend?_ And _oh there’s free sweets Jeno!_

Jeno doesn’t understand how but they’re suddenly inside a plushie store, his soulmate long gone from his side in search of a suitable plushie that would accompany him through the night. Then suddenly he’s out of the store once more with Jaemin on his side carrying a huge plushie in his arms as if its his own newborn baby.

“We should’ve bought one for Donghyuck,” Jeno said outloud as they walked down the street to where Tangerine Apartment was located.

“Ahead of you on that,” Jaemin grinned then proceeded to pull out a cute Ryan plushie the size of his head. “Tada!”

Jeno smiled, taking the plushie from Jaemin’s hand. “It’s cute.”

“That’s Donghyuck’s baby, hope he takes good care of him,” Jaemin explained. “Jeno, the baby in my arms is our baby!”

Jeno cocked an eyebrow. “Ah, you gave birth to him, love?”

“Of course I— yah!” Jaemin’s face was burning as he stared at Jeno. Jeno snickered internally, this was literally gold to him in all sense. Jaemin blushing was his new aesthetic, his soulmate looked too pretty and almost unreal. Endearing really.

“Oh my God Jeno! I’m a guy I can’t give birth!”

Jeno tilted his head oh-so-innocently. “Oh so you want to give birth?”

“Jeno!”

Jeno laughed raucously at Jaemin’s burning face. “I am so telling Donghyuck about this!” he teased with a grin.

Jaemin’s brown eyes widened in fear. “Please don’t Jeno, Donghyuck will never let me live it down.”

But Jaemin’s plea fell on deaf ears for Jeno told his ghost best friend later that night and Jaemin had to wrestle the ghost down to stop him from laughing till the next day comes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_[Are you going to take summer classes Jen?]_

Jeno stared at the summer application form in front of him, wondering if he should go for it. “I don’t know,” he told the other truthfully. He got up from his seat, deciding that it’s too late in the dawn of night for him to think about it.

“You know how I really want to graduate but then I want to spend more time with my family later at the holidays and yet…” he told the other as he twisted on his door knob and went out of his room, finding himself going straight to the kitchen where a certain ghost resident of his was mixing some sort of drink.

Donghyuck ribbed him, pointing at the weird-colored beverage in the mixer. Jeno frowned but then Donghyuck glared at him and reluctantly, Jeno dipped a spoon into the mixer and tasted the beverage. His eyes widened, it actually tasted good.

_[When you put it that way you’re making me feel guilty for taking summer classes.]_

Jeno mouthed, _its good_ to Donghyuck before turning to the phone on his hand. “You’re going to take the summer classes?” he asked instead as he placed the spoon back to its original place.

_[What can I say Jeno, med students strive the most here.]_

Jeno rolled his eyes. “All uni students strive in the majors Jaemin-ah, not only you guys,” he pointed out as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. He gave the playing TV an exasperated look knowing who hadn’t bothered to turn it off.

_[Aw Jeno you break my heart.]_

“Stop being so dramatic,” Jeno grunted as he turned off the TV. “Anyways, I might take up summer classes if you motivate me enough.”

Jeno could picture the frown on Jaemin’s face as he said, _[you should know better than following people’s examples for these things Jeno. Take summer classes only because you think you can do it. Weren’t you complaining about having less vacation time with your family?]_

Jeno hummed, true. “But I don’t think it matters that much anymore,” he reasoned. “My sister’s out here in Seoul too so I don’t think she’s coming home because you know how workers have less holiday than we do and I’m just going back for the holidays to pick up one of my cats to live here with me.”

_[You never said anything about owning a cat,]_ Jaemin said. _[I’m very disappointed to only know about this now.]_

“I’m sorry boyfriend, you know its been less than a week since we got together,” Jeno sighed as he dumped his ass on the comfortable couch. “But really though I’ll think about it, summer classes I mean.”

_[You only have today for it, tomorrow’s the last day Jen.]_

“I know,” Jeno’s lips curved into a smile.

Jaemin hummed, pausing for a second before speaking up. _[You know…we should really go to that official date one of these days.]_

Jeno glanced back to where the kitchen was located, where he knew Donghyuck was. “I know,” he agreed nonetheless, he lowered his voice just in case Donghyuck’s trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. “But I can’t really think straight nowadays, this whole thing with Donghyuck is going to make me crazy and I don’t want to be so out of it on our date.”

_[I know,]_ Jaemin hummed. _[And you should tell him the truth one of these days so we can go to that date sooner then later.]_

“You’re making me talk to him about it today aren’t you?”

_[Only if you want to,]_ Jaemin then sighed. _[I’m just saying that it’s better now than never Jeno, you’ve been busy lately too right with the end of year exam lurking just around the corner. I mean, when are you going to get a better time than today?]_

“I don’t know Jaemin,” Jeno hesitated, slumping down to lay on the couch instead of sitting on it. He stretched his legs and unused arm, frowning when his his limbs hit the arm rests. The couch’s beginning to feel a little too small for him.

_[There’s no such thing as a perfect timing, you should know that better than anyone,]_ Jaemin said. _[Anyways, I’ve got to go, papers to be done. Talk to you later?]_

Jeno nodded his head as he replied. “Good luck on them! And take care."

_[Night Jeno.]_

Jaemin ended the call before Jeno could wish him a good night. Jeno sighed, taking his phone off his ear and placing it on the coffee table. Jaemin’s certainly pissed off at him for keeping Donghyuck out of what had truly happened to the ghost boy.

And speak of the devil, Donghyuck sauntered right in with a glass of that weird beverage he had just made.

_:Jaemin said anything about me, lover boy?:_ the ghost asked as he patted on Jeno’s outstretched legs. Jeno pulled his legs under him as he sat up and Donghyuck sat himself on the couch next to Jeno, slurping on his drink. _:Actually did he take up our offer in playing internet games together?:_

Jeno thought about Jaemin’s words, how he should tell Donghyuck the truth about his death and everything that sub consequently follows because Donghyuck deserved to know his truth.

Jeno pursed his lips, alright it’s now or never.

“Actually Hyuck, I want to talk to you about something actually.”

Donghyuck nudged his drink at Jeno. _:You sound serious,:_ he teased.

Jeno frowned, shaking his head at the offered drink. “Because I am serious Donghyuck. It’s uhm, how to put it, concerns you and it’s really going to be shocking to you and all. Just promise me you won’t be mad and hear me out?”

Donghyuck scowled, placing the drink on the coffee table. _:Alright,:_ he agreed as he laid back down to seat himself comfortably on the couch. _:Tell me, Jeno.:_

"I—” Jeno cleared his throat. “Okay so remember how you told me that you're a ghost with no purpose who's just hanging around here to make fun of me and annoy the hell out of me because you feel like it?"

_:Yeah...:_ Donghyuck snorted with a snicker. _:Wow, never knew you'd actually accurately remember what I said.:_

Donghyuck’s laughing at him but Jeno doesn’t find relieve in that because it only made him more nervous this time. "W-well... I got curious."

The ghost blinked, humming under his breath. Jeno’s acting so out of it, avoiding his eyes and all so this must be serious. _:Okay so you went around to ﬁnd the reason why I'm here.:_

"Yes... and I think I've found it."

Donghyuck didn’t even miss a beat in answering. _:Enlighten me.:_

Jeno took a shaky deep breath, letting it out through his mouth as he prepares himself for the inevitable. He looked up into those dark eyes, eyebrows furrowed with a downturned smile. "You're not dead yet Donghyuck... you're actually in a comatose. Your body is recovering somewhere in SNU hospital as we speak."

Donghyuck titled his head, furrowing his eyebrows and frowned. Jeno’s serious expression wasn’t going away from his face anytime soon which only meant that whatever he’s saying right now was the truth.

He honestly didn’t think it would turn out to be this way so he  slowly nodded his head instead, deciding to take this information in slowly and processing it through his brain with a reluctant acceptance.

It’s unbelievable, really because Donghyuck had lived these past few months with the acknowledgement of how he’s dead and not alive any longer. How he can’t do some of the things he had always wanted to do when he was alive. How he can never see the people he loved any longer.

Instead of wallowing on the sadness however, Donghyuck decided to take a different approach to the news.

_:Okay... what do you propose I do now?:_

Jeno blinked, that adorable way when he couldn’t fathom how something or someone reacted the way they did and not in the way he expected them to be.

Jaemin’s a lucky bitch to have a soulmate like Jeno.

"You took the news oddly well..."

_:I've seen my fair share of animes and mangas,:_ Donghyuck shrugged and relaxes back on the couch. _:Was that...:_ he hesitated but his eyes hardens, _:the reason why you came home looking like you were crying that night?:_

"You're my friend too you know Donghyuck," Jeno said instead as he looked away, hands clenched into ﬁsts on his lap. "I don't want you to disappear on me..."

Donghyuck's eyes soften as he takes Jeno's hand in his. If living with Jeno a little to two months taught him anything, it was how Jeno could be so vulnerable when it comes to his strong emotions towards something.

_:You know..:_ he spoke up with a soft smile on his face as he run his thumbs over Jeno’s knuckles, coaxing them to relax under his touch. Jeno’s eyes watched him carefully, ever the focused and mesmerizing. _:From what I've learnt from living with you is that soulmates is not everything and that friends have important bonds too... I won't make promises I can’t keep just know that even if I do disappear one day, you’ll be fine alright?:_

The silence that came with his statement had Jeno’s eyes glistening with unshed tears. "W-what about your soulmate?" Jeno croaked, hands clenching around Donghyuck’s tightly as if afraid the ghost would disappear right then and there.

_:We decide about that later,:_ Donghyuck dismissed with a wry smile.

And Jeno thought bitterly of how Donghyuck still resents his soulmate. _:Just... c-can I see the body?:_

Jeno pursed his lips. He doesn’t want Donghyuck to go afraid of anything to happen to him but at the same time, he can’t just be so selfish to not let Donghyuck see for himself just how semi-alive he currently was in a hospital. "Can you leave this place even?"

_:I can...:_ Donghyuck snorted and suddenly the atmosphere changed to the one of their usual sarcastic conversation. _:Before you came here I always go out to entertain myself, still do actually when you're not around.:_

Jeno decided that he’ll be mad at Donghyuck at another time for going out of the apartment whenever he so wishes. "Alright... how about this weekend"

Donghyuck shrugged his shoulders, his thumbs still rubbing against Jeno’s knuckles but Jeno knows he was nervous, averting eyes and unsettling behavior but had masked it very well with his nonchalance. _:Fine by me.:_

Jeno let Donghyuck have his way. If he’s comfortable with learning the truth and acting as if the truth wasn’t going to affect him much was what he decided to do then Jeno wouldn’t do anything to stop it. "Do you want Jaemin to come too?"

Because if anything Jaemin’s their middle ground.

_:I don't mind:_

"Alright... I'll tell him about it."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The frown on and frustration on Felix’s face made Jeno feel guilty. “You’re… quitting basketball?” he asked and with the tone he was using he sounded unsure himself.

Jeno frowned right back at his best friend. “Who gave you that impression?”

Felix shrugged his shoulder, looking forward to where they were going instead, the familiar path leading them to Tangerine Apartment from the bus stop as trees shade them from the sun. He didn’t mind the sun however, the weather was pleasant and unlike Australia’s beating sun the sun in Seoul was merciful with its bright lights.

“Jinyoung told me you rarely come to basketball practice nowadays,” he said.

“So Jinyoung basically ratted me out, good to know.”

A pinch on Jeno’s side had him wince in pain. Felix gave him his strict glare. “Don’t bully Jinyoung with this,” Felix warned him. “But really though Jen… what’s up? I thought you were dedicated to basketball.”

“You make is sound as if I’m married to basketball which is clearly a disturbing image,” Jeno quipped to which the other roll his eyes at. Jeno snickered, decided that he should stop acting as a smartass. He stuffed his hands inside his pocket and shrugged. “But really though? You know I only joined basketball to get away from the uni’s dance club.”

“Jeno it’s university, it’s bound to be wild,” Felix reasoned. Jeno shrugged his shoulders once more and Felix released a smile, sighing through his nose. Well Jeno had always been the one to touch something as wild as a university party with a ten meter pole. His best friend had always been a careful child, who even attends prom with their sister? Of course, only Jeno.

“But you know even if you did joined basketball to get away from the dance troupe, I know you’re not one to be so uncaring about it like that time when you don’t actually want to be a participant of the science and arts fair at tenth grade but then your team’s project was actually the best one out of others and that’s thanks to you.”

Jeno clicked his tongue. “But that wasn’t purely my idea, you know the other two guys did help.”

Felix rolled his eyes, Jeno’s ever the humble person. “Whatever,” he said because he doesn’t want to argue. “Seriously Jeno, what’s up?”

“Nothing is…?” Jeno worded it out more like a question to which Felix raised an eyebrow at. Jeno makes a dying noise in the back of his throat because there really wasn’t anything going on aside from the whole Donghyuck thing.

Oh.

Donghyuck.

“Really though it’s nothing,” Jeno tried with a small smile on his face. He didn’t know how Donghyuck’s whole thing was affecting him outwardly too. “I just missed a couple of practices from time to time because of our piling assignments and lab practicums, don’t worry about it.”

Felix watched him wordlessly for a few minutes, almost sending Jeno spiraling down the guilty hole. They were best friends and Jeno had never really told anyone aside from his grandparents and Felix about the peculiar ability of his. They shared almost everything with each other from Felix’s weird crush on one of his young uncles to those diaries Jeno had kept at tenth grade. It was hard lying and hiding something when they particularly know each other like night and day.

“Alright,” he concluded at last, Jeno almost let out a sigh of relief.

“Just know I’m here okay?”

And of course Felix had to see right through him.

Jeno grinned as he moved his head up and down in a nod. “I know.”

Felix smiled, looking up at the familiar yellow and baby blue building of 127. “This is where we part,” he announced and swiveled around, stretching his feet out to the street heading left. “See you later Jen!” he shouted as he walked away.

“You and Changbin are disgusting!” Jeno called out to the other, continuing straight.

“You and Jaemin aren’t any better! Worse in fact!”

Jeno laughed in respond, turning round completely to head to the place he calls home.

As Jeno walked up to the gates leading into Tangerine Apartment’s entrance, his eyes caught someone who was leaning against the black car parked just right to the side of the large gates. Jeno recognized him, brown hair, small stature yet having a lean build with how well his white shirt and black pants fit him.

Unfamiliar to Jeno however, were the round glasses perched on his nose and Jeno almost hesitated in calling out to him if it weren’t for the other to look up and lock eyes with him.

“Renjun!” Jeno jogged over to Chenle’s boyfriend, surprised to see the other here.

Renjun’s thin lips formed an elegant smile as he pocketed his phone and pushed himself so that he wasn’t leaning against the black car. “Hey Jeno…”

Jeno smiled back, stopping just a few steps away from Renjun. “Hey, what’s up?”

Renjun’s aristocratic face turned pinch. “Ah, about that… I’m sorry that we got on the wrong foot when we first met.”

Jeno waved his hand. “It’s alright actually I was a little surprised about it, is all.”

“Chenle wouldn’t leave me alone about it however,” Renjun’s smile was back and to Jeno it felt like he was staring at a sculpture in one of those art museums. “I’m really sorry if I hurt your feelings or anything Jeno,” he said. His face had this sorrowful expression, genuinely apologetic.

Jeno shook his head. “It’s alright I swear!” He assured with a smile because smiles have the pushing power words don’t. “You really don’t need to apologize so much about it!”

Renjun relented. “Alright but… is there anything I can do?”

God, why was he so persistent? Was Jeno’s smile not working? Jeno huffed internally, a protest beginning to form on his lips.

Then an idea popped in Jeno’s head.

“Actually you can…” Jeno grinned, all teeth and adorable curved eyes. “Can I borrow your car?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Why would ghosts need transportation? Can’t you just I don’t know teleport to the place like in the movies?” Jaemin asked, as Jeno tied Jaemin’s shoelaces for him being the good boyfriend he was, frowning at Donghyuck who was standing beside them on the doorway.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, his normal response to whatever Jaemin says. Their weird chemistry was of the tough love, Jeno had decided when he saw them bickering and fighting over the last piece of fries just a few days ago. Their bond was unique, sarcastic yet understanding, sympathetic yet teasing. Weird but it was what they were and at least they get along just fine that way.

_:Gee Jaemin I didn’t think about that…:_ Donghyuck said drily then faked out an exaggerated gasp. _:Wait! I know why I can’t teleport! It’s because I wasn’t given the ability smartass!:_

Their bond was unique but irritating to deal with on a daily basis.

Jeno stood to his full height, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ladies…” he eventually spoke up, setting his hands on both Jaemin and Donghyuck’s arm to gain their attention. “Please, let’s just get going alright?” he opened the door as emphasis.

“Jeno, I’ve a big penis right here you know, I am anything but a woman,” Jaemin complained and yet he walked out of the door.

Donghyuck filed out after him, moaning out loud because what Jaemin had said was just so disgusting. _:I don’t need that kind of mental image Jaemin!:_

Jeno was going to ignore them, of course he was. They’re an embarrassment even with Donghyuck invincible to everyone but their eyes, he couldn’t imagine how much of an embarrassment they’ll be if Donghyuck turned real. He busied himself locking the door up as he joined the two in waiting for the elevator to come up to their floor.

_:Jeez Jeno why do you have such a perverted soulmate?:_ Donghyuck frowned as he pulled Jeno’s arm, pulling him to his side.

“Don’t take away my soulmate from me you ghost boy!” Jaemin hissed as he stretched his arm out to grab Jeno’s other arm and suddenly Jeno became a subject of a tug war between the two of them. A tug of war between a human and a ghost, somehow that image made Jeno laugh.

Donghyuck was weaker than Jaemin so Jaemin had Jeno in his arms just as the metal double doors of the elevator opened. They walked in and Jaemin pressed on the button that would take them to the basement floor. He then warped his arms around Jeno, putting his chin on his soulmate’s shoulder.

“You find that funny?” he sniffed, words whispered on Jeno’s ear.

Jeno flinched away violently, pushing Jaemin’s arms down from his waist and taking a large step away from the other. “I’m sensitive there you prick!” he glared as he rubbed his ear, cheeks flushing into a deep shade of red.

_:Ugh, don’t make me watch the two of you go and make out when we’re out of this elevator,:_ Donghyuck complained with another long suffering moan.

Jeno’s face reddened even further. “We are not—!”

_Ding!_

Jeno stomped out of the elevator, pulling Jaemin along with him. Donghyuck strolled along after them, rolling his eyes because Jeno’s such a drama queen at times while Jaemin giggled.

Jeno halted on his steps to flick Jaemin’s forehead. “Hyuck’s right, why am I stuck with such a perverted soulmate like you?”

Jaemin whined, rubbing his sore forehead. “I’m not perverted Jeno!” he shouted and when Jeno gave him a look he sighed in defeat. “Okay fine, maybe I am a teeny bit but because it’s you alright! I didn’t even know I have these fantasies about you okay! You’re just so cute sometimes I just want to push you down and—”

_:Oh my God!:_ Donghyuck shouted, hands thrown up in the air, face contorted into one of anger. _:Keep your fucking fantasies about Jeno to yourself dickhead! I don’t want to know! Have you ever heard of PG before!? Because you sure as hell act with your dick and not your mind right now!:_

“Okay stop it you two!”

Despite the burning of his cheeks Jeno tried to get these two annoying people to calm down, he doesn’t want to get a headache _before_ the car ride because traffic was such a bitch. “I saw you watching that Thailand R-rated movie last night!” he pointed at Donghyuck to shut him up. “And you!” he turned to Jaemin, glare heated. “Keep your hands off me and keep your dirty jokes to yourself while we’re at the hospital or anywhere in public!”

Jaemin’s eyes gleaned, mouth settled into a careful smile. “What’s the catch?”

Jeno’s glare hardened. “Do I have to punish you again for it?”

Jaemin whistled, eyes knowing, probably remembering that time he tried to force Jeno to make out with him on their study session but ended up being left and hanged dry when he was just turned on by Jeno’s teasing. Donghyuck had laughed his ass off when he saw Jaemin running to the bathroom to finish what Jeno had started. However it was a fond memory to Jaemin because Jeno had dominated him and that was what was so thrilling about the experience.

“Damn daddy…”

Donghyuck let out a long suffering sigh, hands thrown up in the air as if to ask any deity out there for help. _:We get it you two gays are a switch but can we please go now? SNU hospital is like on the other side of Seoul!:_

Donghyuck’s exaggerating as usual but Jeno regarded him with a nod. “The car’s this way,” he swiveled around and directed them to where a black Toyota Prius was.

“Who’s is this?” Jaemin asked.

“You might’ve heard of him,” Jeno said as he turned to look at Donghyuck, eyes oddly solemn. “It’s Huang Renjun’s.”

Jeno had been hesitant to ask Lucas again so he decided to turn Renjun who had been conveniently standing in front of Tangerine Apartment when he went home from university. Renjun had agreed to let him borrow his car without a second thought, going as far as giving him the car keys after their impromptu hangout in 127.

Jeno unlocked the doors of the car but his eyes were focused on watching Donghyuck’s reaction. Donghyuck pursed his lips, trying to mask his surprise but his eyes were looking at anywhere but Jeno’s. _:I didn’t know you know him.:_

“Well,” Jeno looked into those whirling dark eyes. “He’s Chenle’s boyfriend for a reason.”

Donghyuck’s eyes widened. Then he glared at Jeno. _:You have a lot of explaining to do Lee Jeno,:_ he threw the passenger door wide open, slamming it right after he went in.

“You know he doesn’t mean it Jeno-yah,” Long fingers rub his back comfortingly as his soulmate smiled softly at him, eyes crinkled with gentleness. Jeno’s lips stretched into a smile, Jaemin’s smile was really contagious.

“I know.”

Jaemin kissed his forehead. “How about I drive?” He offered with raised eyebrows. “You can go and sit next to Donghyuck to clear things up.”

Jeno pondered on it for just a second. “Alright, I owe you one babe,” he decided and leaned in to peck Jaemin’s lips. “I am still surprised about how you can drive to be honest, you haven’t told me about that.”

“We can talk about that later,” Jaemin said. “We have all the time in the world and right now your priority is talking with ghost boy.”

Jeno nodded, handing Jaemin the keys before he’s clambering into the passenger seat next to Donghyuck who scooted when he saw the door opening.

_:So… you know Renjun,:_ Donghyuck started, eyes unsettlingly staring right into Jeno’s brown eyes, unwavering. The car started and Jaemin’s driving them out of the parking lot.

“By extension,” Jeno said. “He’s Chenle’s boyfriend but I haven’t really met him until recently.”

_:Chenle was a close friend of mine who wouldn’t stop leeching on my side ever since he enrolled in our university,:_ Donghyuck spoke up, eyes still on Jeno’s. His lips stretched into those wry smiles he would make whenever he’s feeling blue. _:And Renjun… Renjun was the person my soulmate fell in love with.:_

Jeno swallowed, suddenly feeling just how dry his throat was. “Renjun cares about you Hyuckie…”

Donghyuck shook his head, the smile stretched on his face was one of confusion, sadness and incredulous. _:I don’t understand how you guys can be so kind and yet so dumb at the same time…:_ his eyes then softened as he let his head fall on Jeno’s shoulder, his ghostly hand intertwining with Jeno’s.

Jeno saw Donghyuck’s string pulsed, coming to a lively bloody red for just a mere second before dimming once more. He pressed a kiss on Donghyuck’s crown. “I care about you Hyuck-ah…” he said. “And so does Jaemin. We’re here for you okay?”

Donghyuck hummed but the squeeze on Jeno’s hand was enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno, Jaemin and Donghyuck exchanged glances at the slightly opened door of Donghyuck’s hospital room hearing small whispers of someone talking quietly inside the room.

“There’s someone inside,” Jaemin whispered hotly, pointing out the obvious.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, if rolling eyes was a sport he would’ve won the gold medal already. _:You two idiots are such chickens,:_ Donghyuck never says anything without an insult that it would be weird if he had said anything without one. _:Let me go and see who it is and scare him or her away yeah?:_

And before Jeno or Jaemin could have say to that, Donghyuck had already slipped inside. They exchanged glances and released an exasperated sigh because they know they can never stop Donghyuck.

They waited, a minute, two, then suddenly five.

Jeno grew worried. Jaemin reached over to grab his hand for comfort.

“D-Donghyuck!” Jeno hissed as he tried to catch up to his ghost friend who had slipped and stormed away from them. “Hey!” he hissed lowly, grabbing Donghyuck and turning him around. His eyes widened when he saw the repressed sorrow behind those tear-gazed eyes of the ghost.

_:Why did he have to be there Jeno?:_ he rasped, sniffling as tears began to fall down his cheeks. _:Why was he there? Why?:_

“Who Donghyuck?” Jeno asked, pulling Donghyuck close to hug the other but Donghyuck pushed him away, rubbing his tears away furiously with his sleeves. The sadness turning into rage as he glared hardly at Jeno as if to burn him right then and there with his gaze.

_:You!:_ He jabbed a finger at Jeno’s chest, face reddened with a fierce rage. _:You knew he was there didn’t you!? You knew my soulmate was going to be there!:_

“I—”

_:I trusted you dammit! I trusted you Lee Jeno! I might be semi-_ dead _being in a coma and this fucking form but I didn’t want to hear him say ‘I love you’! Those three words were the words I wanted to hear when I was breathing and living as a human being and not a ghost! He doesn’t deserve to say that!:_

Jeno’s throat felt clogged and no word came out of his mouth as he stared at Donghyuck with a surprise and fear. Donghyuck shot him one last glare before he turned and ran away to who-knows-where.

Jeno couldn’t stop him.

No, Jeno didn’t stop him.

A hand on his shoulder got him out of his stupor, Jeno raised his to gaze into those warm honey brown eyes of his soulmate. “I’ll find him,” Jaemin smiled, voice tender. “Why don’t you go and wait for us in Donghyuck’s room?”

Jeno swallowed, nodding his head and Jaemin smiled. He leaned over to give a comforting kiss on Jeno’s cheek, pressing words on Jeno’s soft skin as he does so. “He’ll be alright…”

Jeno chose to say nothing and watched as Jaemin jogged to where he saw Donghyuck had ran off to.

Jeno moved, watching as the door leading to Donghyuck’s room got closer. He took a deep breath, bracing himself because he was going to meet Donghyuck’s soulmate. The person whom Donghyuck resented.

He pushed the door open, noticing how the room was still bare of anything aside from the bedside table and two stools on either side of the bed. The black-haired man who was sitting on one of the stool turned around and Jeno’s eyes widened.

Jeno was expecting someone of the same gender but he wasn’t expecting the person to be one of U-studios dancer instructor, Mark.

“W-who are you?” Mark asked, voice cracking as he wiped the tears away from his cheeks, turning slightly away from Jeno as if to hide the fact that he was crying. It was futile thoug because Jeno had already seen those tears and sorrow-strickened face of Donghyuck’s soulmate but he was polite enough to act as if he didn’t see it.

“A-A friend of Donghyuck’s,” he replied, watching carefully on how Mark’s trying to stop himself from crying any further.

“I-I’m sorry,” Mark sniffled as he flashed Jeno a small smile. “Please sit down,” he beckoned towards the other empty stool on the other side of the bed.

Jeno walked up to the stool, fidgeting slightly by Mark’s intense eyes. He seated himself on the stool, looking over Donghyuck’s bedridden physical form. His heartstring tugged at the sorry state of his best friend, worldlessly he reached over to take Donghyuck’s hand in his, holding the pale and weak hand carefully.

“I think I’ve seen you around before,” Mark spoke up, his tone and voice gentle. He smiles tenderly at Jeno. “Have you ever gone to U-studios?”

Jeno stared at Mark, finding those brown eyes of Donghyuck’s soulmate unsettling with the whirlwind of grieve, sorrow, pain and hurt residing inside them. “I do,” he said. “Your name’s Mark right?”

Mark nodded, his gaze falling down to Donghyuck’s comatose form on the bed. “The name’s Lee Minhyung. And you are?”

“L-Lee Jeno,” Jeno squeaked because it was somehow frightening to him, being stuck with your best friend’s soulmate who doesn’t know about what’s happening to Donghyuck at the moment.

Mark chuckled, lifting his head up to look at Jeno. “I’ve never heard Haechan-ah talking about you before…”

“Well we became friends just a while ago,” Jeno smiled sheepishly. It wasn’t a lie nor was it the whole truth but it was what Jeno could give him at the moment.

“So you know what happened to him…” Mark eyes turned darker, a hint of a mocking smile appeared on his lips. “I’m not surprised if you hate me.”

Jeno bit his lip, it pained him to see just how much Mark was hurting. How much Donghyuck was hurting, how much the two pair of soulmates were hurting. “I don’t hate you…” he told the other softly, eyes unwavering as his gaze fell upon Mark, softening just the slightest.

Mark hummed, eyes holding Jeno’s gaze. “You’re too kind,” he reluctantly said as he reached over to put his hand over Jeno’s hand. Jeno watched the other’s hand carefully, the red string around Mark’s pinky finger caught his attention.

Jeno stared at the pale red string tied loosely around Mark’s left pinky, eyes widening as realization dawned at him.

“Y-You’re string...” He gasped.

Mark frowned, looking down at his hand as if to see what Jeno had meant by that. “My string…?” he said carefully then his eyes widened as if something clicked. “Y-You can see the red string of fate too?”

“Too?” Jeno parroted as his eyes widened even further.

“W-wait! You can see it?”

Mark shook his head, “No, not me but Donghyuck’s doctor can…”

Jeno swallowed, eyes filled with hope as he looked at the other. “C-can I talk to him?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jeno was very young and until his early teenage years, his grandpa was his everything. Mentor, role-model, hero, knight, everything you could think of.

His old grandpa certainly didn't replace his father's place but he was deﬁnitely somewhere higher in his ranks to which his grandfather was thrilled to know.

"Oh you see that Jeno..." his grandfather secretly pointed to his cousin, Yubi, who was sitting and enjoying her piece of strawberry on the family table with her parents and sibling that one large family gathering day when Jeno was five. "See the string around her pinky that's a bit loose?"

Jeno turned and squinted his eyes at his cousin’s wrist, nodding slowly in reply when he caught sight of his cousin’s loose red string. "Why is that grandpa?"

"That means she hasn't met her soulmate yet or, if she has a sign of somesort on that place, her soulmate hasn't said the words that needs to be said or touched or even looked at the mark hidden by the string. That also means that their soulbond is incomplete."

"I...don't really understand," Jeno scrunched his nose in confusion because that was somehow a bit of an information overload for a five year old.

His grandpa laughed.

"You'll understand when you're older, just don't forget this memory, eh?"

Jeno nodded enthusiastically, he wanted to please his grandpa so this was the least he could do as a five year old, remembering a young memory. "Yes grandpa."

His grandpa ruffled his head with a smile. "Good boy."

Jeno hadn't really understood what his grandpa was saying until he stood up for his best friend who was lying about meeting his soulmate because the string around his Felix's pinky was still loose. Of course when he pointed that out his best friend didn’t believe him but Jeno proved his point because a few months after he saw how the string around Felix’s pinky tightened when he met his soulmate by accident in the engineering building.

_:Hey…:_ Donghyuck peeked his head through the crack of Jeno’s bedroom door, a sheepish smile forming on his lips. Jeno lifted his head up, pulled out of his stupor as a small smile formed on his lips.

“Hey…”

The ride back to the apartment after their visit was tense, Jeno had taken up to drive while Jaemin sat by Donghyuck’s side on the passenger seats. Jeno met up with Jaemin and Donghyuck half an hour in the gardens of the hospital and the ghost had evaded him ever since, not even giving him a glance. Jeno’s honestly thought the ghost would never talk to him ever again.

Donghyuck’s eyes swept around the room as if to find someone or something. _:Where’s Jaemin?:_

Jeno motioned to the en-suite, the sound of running water could be heard coming from inside. Jaemin had proclaimed how dirty he had felt as soon as they entered the apartment and left Jeno and Donghyuck’s side to shower first in Jeno’s en-suite.

Donghyuck’s face pinched but then he’s not moving from his spot behind the door. Jeno furrowed his eyebrows, “you okay?”

Donghyuck groaned. _:Oh fuck this!:_ He muttered as he slammed the door open and stepped into the bedroom, face determined. He stormed into the room, Jeno found himself scared for his life just for a second there.

Ghostly gangly arms warpped around his body before Jeno could question Donghyuck’s weird behavior. "W-what—"

Even with Donghyuck’s face buried on his skin he could hear what the ghost was saying loud and clear. _:Shut up and just let me hug you fucker or do you want me to kick your ass?:_

Jeno snorted, lifting his arms up to hug his ghost best friend.

Jeno doesn’t understand what the hug was for but he understood it was Donghyuck’s weird way of showing his apology and appreciation, Donghyuck even gob-smacked a kiss right on Jeno’s nose when Jaemin came into the room then proceeded to leave the room wordlessly as if he wasn’t there in the first place.

“One of these days he should really stop that,” Jaemin said quietly as he sat next to Jeno, warping his arms around the older’s waist, pressing their bodies against each other and with their close approximation Jeno could smell the citrus fragrance of his soap mixing with Jaemin’s own body scent. It was comfortable and thrilling at the same time.

“He kisses you way too much for my liking.”

“His kisses are friendly Jaemin,” Jeno reminded his soulmate, rubbing Jaemin’s arms in reassurance. “As someone who likes to give kisses you should know that,” he pointed out remembering how Jaemin kisses his friends as he throws a smile at the other’s way.

Jaemin snorted but left it at that, burying his face on Jeno’s neck. His still damp hair wetting Jeno’s skin and shirt slightly. Despite the minty smell of Jeno’s shampoo emitted from his hair, he still smells like Jaemin. Joy, gentle and love.

"Have you noticed the weird color of Donghyuck's string and how it pulses sometimes?" Jaemin asked suddenly as he buried his face further on Jeno’s neck.

Jeno frowned, resting his hands on his soulmate’s arms that were warpped around his waist. He doesn’t like where this conversation will go, anything concerning with Donghyuck and his soulmate was a clear code red to him, but then he can’t avoid something that would inevitably happen. "Yes..."

Jaemin shifted, raising his head up to face Jeno’s though his eyes were looking at anything but Jeno’s own. "Well I have a theory that Donghyuck hasn't really let go of his soulmate.”

"What do you mean by that?"

The question came out too quick and too clipped for Jeno’s liking, Jaemin’s grimace was prove to this though his soulmate wasn’t backing down on this either and continued to talk instead. He dropped his arms from Jeno’s waist and Jeno felt a little empty without them.

"I... my aunt had hanahaki,” his voice was so soft and Jeno turned his body around to face him comfortably, reaching out to grab his hands to comfort him, telling him it was okay to either stop or keep on going.

Jaemin shot him a miniscule smile, squeezing their linked hands and just like that Jeno knew he wanted to keep on going even though tears were glistening in those usually bright and joyful eyes of his. Jeno hates wherever this was going because he knew it would lead to Jaemin crying.

“Her soulmate was an unusual case of having two strings and well he chose the second one as someone who he has a romantic bond with, someone who's not my aunt. My aunt was adamant to accept that at ﬁrst, she refused to have a platonic bond with her soulmate too, her string always pulses and glows into a stronger color when she argues with her soulmate and well... the color of her string fade when her soulmate went away. It pulses at times, when she's out with her friends having a good time or when she tells people how much she still loves her soulmate despite what he made her go through but then when... when her friend told her her soulmate was getting married to his second soulmate... she-she... her string pales completely and she just..."

Tears were streaming down Jaemin’s cheeks, voice garbled and incoherent when Jeno pulled him into his arms. Jaemin’s arms circled around Jeno’s neck and Jeno tried his best to not let the tears shining in his eyes fall. “Babe…”

"Her string was still red Jeno, still red but it was pale,” Jaemin persisted to keep on talking, not taking the warning tone Jeno had used. “A weird type of red because you know how stark red is when faced with a very ashen color and her's was just...” Jaemin sniffled, his breath caught on his throat and yet he kept on talking. “It still stood out like a sore thumb when her body was as pale as snow but it was wrong at the same time Jeno... her red was so wrong..."

Jeno held Jaemin in his arms, listening to his soulmate’s cry of grieve in silence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_:I seriously don't understand why you guys are still ﬁghting for a lost cause like me_ ,: Donghyuck commented off handedly as Jeno prepared himself to go to the hospital to meet the doctors who was handling Donghyuck.

Jeno’s lucky enough that Mark had agreed to let him meet with the doctors even going as far as saying how both would be really interested in meeting someone who could see the red string of fate. They had exchanged contacts before Jeno left to find Jaemin and Donghyuck.

"You're not a lost cause Donghyuck,” Jeno reminded the ghost as he wore a jacket which suspiciously looked like it belonged to Jaemin over his blue button up shirt.

Donghyuck’s standing awkwardly to the side, shifting from foot to foot and being oddly not Donghyuck-esque for the whole week. _:Well.. I don't really hope much from this. I gave up about this a long time ago Jeno...:_ he said off-handedly, eyes averting Jeno’s as soon as his human best friend looked at him.

Jeno smiled drily at his way, knowing full well his ghost best friend was calling bullshit. "Don't lie to yourself Donghyuck," he told the other and walked up to the front door, slipping on his shoes.

_:It's true though...:_ Donghyuck protested weakly, falling to deaf ears.

"Just as Jaemin told you yesterday, Hyuckie. That maybe..." Jeno looked at Donghyuck over his shoulder, last week’s conversation full of tears with his soulmate flashing in his eyes. He remembered how Jaemin suddenly dropped a bomb in the middle of their cooking session one Wednesday night and how Donghyuck reacted minimally to it. "Maybe you haven't let go of him just yet..."

Donghyuck's bit his lip as he looked away and Jeno grabbed the keys of Renjun's car from the ghost's hand. Donghyuck’s just too out of it, it seems and yet Jeno find it weird how someone as cheerful and bright as Donghyuck find people’s aide uncomfortable. Was he ever helped before about this by his friends?

"I'll be back in a bit, Hyuckie," he told the ghost and he pulled the other into a hug.

Donghyuck merely nodded in silence when they pulled away from each other. Jeno chuckled and headed out of the door not bothering to lock it up because he knows Jaemin will drop by to keep Donghyuck company.

For some reason his apartment wasn’t equipped with password locking doors and instead used the old fashion physical key system. He had heard from Jisung how Seulgi-noona the owner loved to keep things old-fashioned because it served as a reminder of her wonderful childhood days.

Jeno should get a spare key from her, now that he thought about it. He can’t keep on leaving the door unlocked whenever Jaemin decided to visit because someone might decide to break in, though that possibility was low and Donghyuck would’ve scared the shit out of the thieves before they could steal anything but you’ll never know.

Ah well... he clicked his tongue and went inside the elevator as soon as the doors sprung wide open for him, he’ll have to think about those things later.

He got into Renjun's car, rolling the car out of the basement parking lot and into SNU hospital grounds. Sooyoung was already waiting for him at the reception desk and took him to doctor’s oﬃce right away.

Jeno noticed the strings on the two men occupying the room, hanging too loosely and wasn't that fascinating. People usually found their soulmate by the age of twenty three and these men were deﬁnitely passed that average scale.

The taller doctor smiled at him from across the table, "you're Lee Jeno."

It was more of a statement than a question.

Jeno decided to go with the flow, nodding his head in response. "And you're Donghyuck's doctor, Johnny. I thank you for taking care of Donghyuck all this time hyung."

"So formal yet not," Johnny’s lips stretched into a wider smile, all teeth and glinting eyes. "Mark must've taught you that."

Jeno smiled with a shrug, which could mean anything really.

"Let’s not get into this formally okay? We’re here only for a friendly informal discussion after all… But introductions first! Jeno, this is my colleague Taeil who is handling Donghyuck when I'm not around and he specializes in the, to put it simply, non-soulmate issues," Johnny motioned his hand to the person sitting next to him.

Taeil smiled and Jeno and he shook hands.

"Pleasure to meet you sir."

Taeil looked flustered for a second, waving his hands in front of his face with slightly flushed cheeks. "Oh no, just call me hyung like how you did to Johnny, please."

Jeno’s lips quirked into a smile, "okay then hyung."

"Mark told me you're able to see the red strings of fate,” Johnny spoke up, leaning his body forward to look straight into Jeno’s brown eyes. His smile still wide and toothy, his eyes too bright with curiousity and fascination and he looked at Jeno as if Jeno was going to be his finest meal. “Is that correct?"

Jeno’s smile widened, not the slightest creeped out by Johnny’s behavior. When you have a soulmate like Jaemin and a best friend like Donghyuck, weird things became a common thing while common mundane things turned dull and uninteresting. "Yes hyung."

"Well then... since you've checked mine and Taeil-hyung's strings right when you came into the room its not to be doubted."

Jeno’s cheeks flared red at that, its embarrassing when you’re caught checking out something people considered as an intimate and sensitive subject. "I-I'm sorry about that..."

"Its ﬁne... its a weird habit of mine too," Johnny waved it off with an easygoing smile. "And since you could see something less than one percent of the world’s population could, we would like your opinion on Donghyuck's case, if you’re interested that is."

"Of course," Jeno agreed quickly. He cleared his throat, his answer was too eager for his liking. "My grandpa used to tell me things about the strings and soulmates. I've also done my own independant research about them."

Taeil’s smile was warm. "Do tell us what you know..."

Jeno bit his bottom lip. “This might sound weird but uhm… do you believe in ghosts?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The somehow short yet insightful discussion Jeno had with Johnny and Taeil was... mind blowing to say the least.

Taeil's theory of him and Jaemin being able to see Donghyuck's astral form because of their ability to see the string was something Jeno didn't know someone could come up with and yet the doctor who wasn't even a specialist in soulmates did.

And yet what Johnny said made it even more mindblowing. He hypothesized that Donghyuck's words around Mark's wrist have not being said yet makes the soulmate bound Mark and Donghyuck have was incomplete thus slowing the further advance of hanahaki in Donghyuck and rendering the killing of his best friend by hanahaki?

That was...

Jeno doesn't even have the word for it.

"Of course those are just hypothesises,” Johnny warned. “Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, the soulmate system has been an intricate and perplexing system scientists and doctors struggle to understand all this time and for the years to come. Those are just mere assumptions but what we don't understand the most is why the string of Donghyuck's as weird as how you've put it Jeno," his lips screwed into an unatratrive frown, eyebrows furrowed with hidden frustration.

"Maybe because there's two holders of the string?" Taeil suggested, his eyes altering from Jeno to Johnny. "The body of Donghyuck here in the hospital and the astral ﬁgure of Donghyuck's in your apartment."

"And yet this is another theory out of many of ours..." Johnny mused, voice laced with hope and yet his face was set into the ones of grim. "But that could be it."

"What about the words? Why haven't Donghyuck said the words yet?" Jeno asked.

"It could be one of those cases where the soulmates have a belated reply to it. Not everyone gets the words out on their ﬁrst encounter Jeno,” Johnny pointed out.

Jeno swallowed the lump on his throat, suddenly finding it so dry. "Will Donghyuck die?" he whispered those words like a prayer, afraid of the answer that would come out of the two professionals in front of him.

"Well...” Johnny started, careful as his thread on his words. “Mark can't see him so the soulbond they have remains incomplete and yet the string around Donghyuck's arm is something to worry about. We worry about it cutting off the blood ﬂow in Donghyuck's arm or worse... cutting of the string itself."

Jeno frowned at that, Jaemin’s words tattoed on his skin suddenly felt itchy and Jeno had to hold on his own wrist to stop himself from scratching those tattoed words. "Why is that bad? Isn't the hanahaki not killing him anymore? Doesn't he have hope?"

Johnny’s face was sympathetic yet grim and it did nothing to help Jeno ease the ache he suddenly felt. "The hanahaki might not be killing him this time around but the string could. And if the string is to be cut forcefully then... we don't really know what will happen to him and could only hope for the best."

"Could you think of ways to ﬁx everything? You're doctors aren't you?" His voice was getting a pitch higher, he would’ve been embarrassed by it if he wasn’t too frustrated and eager for a happy ending solution.

Johnny smiled sadly, "I'll have my team work on it but I doubt we'll ﬁnd a way anytime soon and time is running out, fast."

Jeno’s throat went dry. Johnny’s smile held its place as Taeil reached over the table to squeeze his hand, "I'm sorry Jeno but this is all that we can do for now."

“Jeno-ssaem?” Hyun’s hesitant squeaky voice brought Jeno out of his reverie and Jeno snapped his head up to look at Hyun who was looking at him with wide brown eyes and a worried frown marring her beautiful face. “Are you okay?”

Jeno forced a smile to appear on his lips. “I’m fine Hyun-ah, I’m sorry for spacing out suddenly like that…”

Hyun shook her head, indicating how she wasn’t bothered by it. “Jeno-ssaem should rest,” she told him instead. “Jeno-ssaem looks like dad when he has a lot to think about, its okay, I understand,” she bobbed her head, nodding sagely as her tiny reached over the table and gave his hand a squeeze.

Jeno’s lips itched into a smile, more genuine that the one before, endeared by Hyun’s adorable way of showing that she cares about him. Screw maths, Hyun’s too cute for him to concentrate on those math problems right now.

“You’re so cute Hyun-ah,” he cooed. “I’d love to have a child as cute as you when I get older.”

“A child?” Hyun’s head perked up with interest, her eyes lighting up with a new light. “Like a daughter or a son, Jeno-ssaem? A child you’ll share with Jaemin-oppa?”

Ever since Hyun knew about Jaemin’s existence she had backed from asking Jeno out and was now on a independent mission to get Jeno and Jaemin together exclusively in a marriage she has been planning in a diary she had kept hidden and locked somewhere in her house. She had called Jaemin with oppa that time Jeno called him in the middle of their tutoring session since she was so _insistent_ in wanting to bond with Jaemin that scared Jeno a bit and Jaemin was so ecstatic that he wanted Jeno to call him that too.

_(“Come on Jeno! Even Hyun-ah calls me that why can’t you? Repeat after me alright? Jaemin-oppa!”)_

Jeno doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

It has been two weeks since the talk Jeno had with the two doctors and yet it still bothers him about how little the information he had to help the doctors helped them in finding a way to cure Donghyuck.

“Jeno-ssaem?”

Hyung called out to him and Jeno gave the girl a sheepish smile, he was once again back to thinking land without him knowing. “Uhm why don’t you try doing the next number Hyun-ah? I already showed you the steps on how to do it right?”

Hyun nodded, turning her attention back to the work laid in front of her and Jeno went back to wondering on how on Earth he was going to help Donghyuck now that he’s back to square one once more.

He’s stumped, confused and frustrated beyond words. His minimum findings did nothing to help Donghyuck and there was little the doctors at the hospital could do to eliviate the situation. He’s angry for some reason, angry at something he can’t control, angry at how twisted this all was, angry at how he was placed as the powerless one in all of this.

He pulled his phone out when he felt it vibrate against his skin, eyes widened in surprise as to who it was.

**_Mark [16:30]_ **

_Hey Jeno, can we talk?_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jinyoung groaned loudly as he laid down on the ground beside him, complaining at the top of his lungs of how hard their training had been and how he wasn’t going to let it slide if he wasn’t going to wake up and feel his muscles when the final examination of the semester finally rolls in.

Felix rolled his eyes beside him, mouthing the words _dramatic_ before drinking from the water bottle he had pulled out of his bag.

Jeno smushed his laughter into his hand, it’s always amusing to watch the two of them interact.

The sun was setting on the horizon, its last rays of light shining the basketball team member’s and painting the ground with their shadows high. Practice had just ended for the day and everybody was loitering the basketball grounds to rest, exhausted because of their captain’s brutal training.

“Jeno!” Jinyoung whined, pointing an accusing finger his way completed with a glare full of heat. He doesn’t look frightening to Jeno unfortunately, laying down on the ground, face flushed with exhaustion and all. “You skipped on practice this whole time and yet you’re still as fit as ever! Not fair! Not cool! I hate you! Why are you so good at being like this man?”

_Like I said, dramatic,_ Felix sneered and Jeno can’t stop the laugh from escaping his lips, giggling uncontralably from behind the hand on his mouth in a horrible attempt at being subtle. “Fe-Felix! D-don’t!” he laughed.

“Hey!” Jinyoung sat up, realizing the situation he’s in.  Face contorted into one of affronted and hurt. “Unbelievable! Are you two making fun of me!?”

Felix rolling his eyes only made Jeno’s laugh louder.

“Oh my God! Jeno! You’re laughing at me!?”

“He won’t be laughing like that if he isn’t moron,” Felix quipped as he knocked his bottle on Jinyoung’s forehead not so gently. Jeno quickly shook his head, waving his hands in front of him to show that it wasn’t the case yet the laugh spilling out of his lips did little to help his case.

“N-No Jinyoung! It was just Felix was so—”

“Oh so it’s _your_ fault Felix!” Jinyoung redirected his glare from Jeno to Felix, finger poking Felix’s chest. “You’re not even in our major! What the hell is a mole like you doing here?”

Felix raised an eyebrow, raising his posture, obviously challenging. “The captain doesn’t even mind me being here so what’s your problem mate?”

“Guys!” Jeno pulled Jinyoung’s hand away from Felix and rested his other hand on Felix’s shoulder, giving them a glare each. “No fighting!”

“He started it!” the two of them childishly accused in harmony, glaring at each other right as those words left their lips.

Jeno’s shoulder shake, trying his best to let another set of laughter escape his lips, hearing a couple of snorts coming from his other teammates who were watching this drama unfold in front of their eyes. He shook his head, rolling his eyes at the two. “You guys are hopeless…” he concluded. “Why am I friends with you guys again?”

“I am amazing from the start asshole,” Jinyoung grinned as he grabbed Jeno’s hand and squeezed it.

Felix rolled his eyes, taking Jeno’s other hand. “I’m the real sunshine here excuse you vermin.”

“Felix you’re really asking for this—”

“My soulmate isn’t a rope you two can play tug of war with you know,” a new voice interrupted as a familiarly shaped shadow fell on Jeno. Jinyoung and Felix’s eyes went comically wide in an instant, letting go of Jeno’s hand and raising their hands in the air as if they were caught red-handed by the police or something.

There Jaemin stood, dressed in his black and white stripped sweater, black pants and black sneakers with his hair pulled back and the silver bag he liked to use on his “important” days of the week lectures.

The corner of Jaemin’s lip lifted, a mocking smile formed on his face as he tilted his head. “Thank you, now I can take my soulmate home safely without visiting the hospital on our way there because of two idiots who decided to use him as a rope replacement for their stupid tug of war.”

Snickers were heard coming from outside the small circle the three friends have formed. Jaemin didn’t bother about them however, giving his hand out towards Jeno. The smile on his face was wide and sincere and Jeno found himself knocked out of his breath at how stunning Jaemin looked under the sunset.

Felix nudged him, pulling him out of his reverie and he fumbled with himself for a minute before he took Jaemin’s offered hand.

Jaemin’s smile widened, showing off those shiny teeth Jeno had slowly came to love, and he pulled his soulmate up. He warped his arm around Jeno’s shoulder, turning to face the two friends still sitting on the ground. “I’ll be taking him away from you guys then! Ciao!”

Jeno grabbed his bag from the ground, ducking his head when he heard the wolf whistles that followed him as he and Jaemin walked away. Jaemin sighed beside him, his arm loosening his hold around Jeno’s shoulders when they were surely faraway from the basketball court. “Those two are sure insufferable…” his soulmate muttered under his breath.

Jeno slung his bag on one shoulder, resting his arm around Jaemin’s waist. “You know they don’t mean it that way Jaemin-ah,” he press a kiss on Jaemin’s cheek right where his words were tattoed on Jaemin’s face. Jaemin hummed as they walked, his act of annoyance was going strong however.

“How’s it that your friends are so touchy when they’re with you?”

“How’s it that you’re touchy when you’re with your friends?” Jeno shot back, teasing, with that famous smile of his where his eyes curved into lovely cresents.

“You’re doing me dirty Jeno-ya,” Jaemin pouted as he poked Jeno’s cheek. He pressed himself closer to Jeno, their shoulders bumping against each other with every step they take, clearly didn’t care how Jeno’s drained in sweat and how Jeno’s obviously smelling like sweat, dust and hard work.

Jeno laughed. “Oh come on, Jaemin, you’re jealous of something irrelevant. You know I love you and that no one’s going to snatch me away from you right?”

Jaemin huffed, tightening his hold on Jeno’s shoulders. “Yeah yeah,” he waved the subject off as usual with that eye roll of his. “Anyways, what are we going to have for dinner?”

Jeno doesn’t mind the redirection of subject, he wasn’t looking forward to have another banter with Jaemin after an exhausting basketball practice. “Pretty sure Donghyuck ate the last batch of kimchi stored in the fridge and pigged out on yesterday’s leftover…”

“You want me to cook,” Jaemin resolved with a dramatic sigh. “You’re so obvious and bad at hinting things subtly you know?”

Jeno chuckled, grinning widely at his soulmate. “Ah, but you love me nonetheless right?”

Jaemin’s eyes softened, turning his face to the other side to prevent Jeno from seeing the blush forming on his cheeks but its futile because Jeno could feel the blush from all the way on his end of the soul bond they have. Jeno feels proud for being the reason of having such a reaction from Jaemin.

Jaemin cleared his throat. “W-well what do you want?”

“Anything that you make will be fine,” Jeno told him. “I accept any cooking prepared by the golden hands of Na Jaemin.”

Jaemin snorted, unamused.

“You’re such a sap,” he said as he directed an eye roll at Jeno.

“Ah, but you love me right?”

Jaemin hummed, face turned to the other side again. “You liked me first.”

Jeno laughed, leaning over to capture the other’s lips in a quick kiss. “You’re so adorable...”

“Don’t forget that you have to meet Mark-hyung before you head home,” Jaemin reminded him as he pointed at the black Honda civic parked on the side of the road in the entrance of the engineering campus of SNU.

Jeno had told Jaemin about the meet up with the senior a few days ago and Jaemin had decided to “tag along” when Jeno’s about to have this meeting just in case Jeno decided to chicken out. Jeno had thought about chickening out to be honest since Mark’s intention for this meeting was so vague, just that it was going to be about Donghyuck.

Jeno realised he just wasn’t looking to be disappointed even further, he had hoped too much on the meeting he had with the two doctors last week.

Jeno glanced at the driver of the black car, finding a nervous-looking Mark waving at his way timidly from the open window. He kissed Jaemin once more. “You should go ahead then babe, I might take a while,” he smiled.

Jaemin shook his head, “no, I’ll just wait you here.”

Jeno bit his bottom lip, brows creasing. “You sure?”

“Yes baby, now go and talk with that nervous senior of ours alright?” Jaemin pushed him slightly towards Mark’s way. “He looks like he wants to say something important…”

Jeno hesitated for a moment. “U-Uhm… alright,” he decided. “I’ll be back alright?”

The smile Jaemin gave him was warming. “I know.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_:Okay.:_

Jeno stared at the ghost freeloading his apartment, bewildered that he had actually agreed to something that even he deemed to be crazy. Donghyuck’s smile was blinding no matter the size, he squeezed Jeno’s hand that was on his own. _:I’m serious Jeno, why are you so shocked? Cat got on your tongue mate?:_

The audacity his ghost best friend had, as if what he had decided wasn’t a big deal which it totally was, even for Jeno.

“Are you sure?” Jeno asked just to be sure because Donghyuck loves to pull his leg at the most unexpected time. Jaemin’s in the kitchen cooking dinner at the moment so he doesn’t have anyone who he could evaluate the answer Donghyuck had given him with, the idol music show rolling in the TV long forgotten. “I mean, its Mark you’re going to meet, are you like hundred percent sure you’re okay to do that?”

_:I’m not doing this for him,:_ Donghyuck reminded with a sharp flick on his forehead. Jeno yelped in pain. _:Look I might resented him for what he did but hey it happened so like nothing I could do about it besides...:_ he shrugged his shoulder, his face was one of nonchalant but Jeno could see the nervousness hidden beneath those eyes but he seems like he got into some sort of conclusion, eyes blazing with a new determination when his eyes caught Jeno’s.

_:Look you went through a lot of shit to get to this point okay? I damn appreciate it, really like I never really expected anything from you other than a human company but then you told me you could see the strings and that you could actually fucking_ see _me. It blew my mind away honestly,:_ Donghyuck scooted closer, his arms were now halfway around Jeno’s form.

_:Then you decided to go and pull detective shit and try to solve my case and like I salute your efforts even though it made you go back to square one,:_ Donghyuck’s smiling with glossy eyes, Jeno doesn’t know what to think other than hoping they wouldn’t be crying and sniffling like babies in the next minute and causing Jaemin to panic. _:You’re so stubborn you know? Always wanting what you want first and not being satisfied until you get what it is that you want. You’re an asshole and yet not what the fuck.:_

Jeno gripped on Donghyuck’s biceps, “please don’t start crying.”

Donghyuck snorted, his eyes were getting even shinier it sent Jeno into a storm of internal panic. _:Always the unromantic one, God how on Earth just a flirt like Jaemin fell for_ you _and going as far as being ended up as your soulmate? So unromantic, so uncool, unfun, ew, I would be disappointed if I was Jaemin.:_

“Hey!”

The laugh ripped out of Donghyuck’s lips were light and exhilarating, relaxing Jeno’s tense shoulders. _:Look let me just put this out bluntly for you, okay Lee Jeno?:_ Donghyuck’s smiling at him once more, the unshed tears flashing behind his eyes looked like pools of sparkling water. _:You’re the greatest friend—or maybe best friend,_ yeah _you broke into the barrier and became that in only like_ two _months or maybe its just that my standards have become that low—I’ve ever got the honor of meeting and I just want you to know that this is my way of repaying you, alright?:_

Jeno pursed his lips. “You know I don’t need payment for being your friend right?” he voiced that out quietly and gently, Donghyuck would’ve missed it if he wasn’t sitting so close to him. “I don’t view our friendship as giving or taking…”

_:I don’t either,:_ Donghyuck’s eyes softened. _:I just don’t know how to say it, I‘m sorry… I’m not trying to get you to the perception that what we have is based on giving and taking but its more like… appreciation. And respect,:_ he added quickly, ghostly hands grasping Jeno’s shoulders tightly. _:Look I might resent Mark for what he had done to me but then you showed me Jeno-ah… you showed me how this life isn’t just about soulmates and its twisted system. You showed me how we friendship is just as important as a romantic relationship and how our world doesn’t_ just _revolve around that soulmate bullshit alright?:_

“Shenanigans Hyuck,” Jeno’s lips quirked into a smile. He understood what Donghyuck was getting at, he understood it really well. Him speaking up like that was only to save Donghyuck’s ego from being trampled even more because he knows how well Donghyuck hates opening up to another person.

“Don’t say soulmate bullshit, you’ll make Jaemin look bad, say shenanigans instead at least that way it would be funnier and less mocking.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes like a champion. _:Jaemin’s brave attitude is as good as bullshit though Jen, he doesn’t mind horror movies but he was scared shitless when he first saw me.:_

Jeno laughed, nose scrunching up in that adorable way the people around him loved. “It’s because you’re scary Hyuck! Admit it! You weren’t really the friendliest when Jaemin came around.”

Donghyuck gasped, affronted. His eyes were no longer shining with unshed tears nor was his smile dry and sad. _:You hurt me Jeno! I thought you were on my side for this!:_

Jeno burst out laughing once again.

“Dinner’s ready!” Jaemin called, poking his head out from the kitchen. He was holding a ladle on his hand, wearing a pink apron looking so much like those dream boyfriends characters movies had and wasn’t that just the cutest. “Anyone up for samgyetang?”

_:I’m taking the first serving!:_ Donghyuck rushed to get up, almost knocking Jeno’s chin with his lanky arms. _:Samgyetang here I come!:_

Jeno shook his head, watching the ghost up and ran into the kitchen just as Jaemin protested on how the ghost should _calm the fuck down because I’m not going to serve you if you’re going to ruin the kitchen Lee_ to which Donghyuck replied sneakily with _but then your boyfriend’s a Lee so what are you going to do about it Na?_

Jeno smiled fondly, warping his arms around Jaemin’s midsection and kissed the spot on his soulmate’s neck just under his hair. “Go easy on him for dinner tonight babe,” he said.

Jaemin scoffed, not bothered with the sudden backhug as he just continued to serve their warm dinner on bowls. “You’re too nice to him sometimes Jeno-ah,” he chided as he gave Donghyuck a bowlful of samgyetang. “Don’t play with your food with those ghostly arms of yours alright Hyuck?”

_:Yes mother,:_ Jeno could hear the eye roll from Donghyuck’s bored tone. He muffled his laugh on Jaemin’s sweater.

“Stop deluding yourself Hyuck, if anyone’s the mother it’s got to be Jeno,” Jaemin said.

_:Spare me from the family talk you two will have,:_ Donghyuck groaned. _:I swear, you two are just so vulgar at times it is disgusting! I don’t want to hear that dom-sub talk you guys had yesterday, it already scarred me as it is, fucking heathens!:_

Jeno sighed, burying the blush he had on his cheek on Jaemin’s back. “If anything you’re the son of Satan Hyuck.”

“But really though Jeno, I think you’re better at being a sub than I am since your body is smaller and all.”

_:Oh my fucking God! I am_ out _of here!:_ Donghyuck groaned loudly. _:Make out all you want assholes but don’t you dare fucking sexile me out of my own apartment!:_

And from the corner of Jeno’s eyes he saw the ghost scrambling out of the kitchen in no time but since Jaemin was so _Jaemin_ he decided that Donghyuck wasn’t going to have the last say in this. “We make no promises!”

Donghyuck made fake exaggerated retching noises from the livingroom.

“And Hyuck it’s my apartment now not yours!” Jeno shouted.

Jaemin smiled at him, dipping his head slightly to press their lips together for a brief moment. “Now that the thirdwheel’s out of the way… let’s make out?”

“Dinner first,” Jeno smiled cheekily as he grabbed a bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At first Mark didn’t know what to make of the new information he had gained from Johnny about how Haechan’s, well to put it simply, a ghost. A ghost living inside Jeno’s apartment, alive and kicking and annoying the living hell out of Jeno which was just so much like him. So much like the Haechan he knew.

It was surreal.

But Jeno had wanted Mark to know, Johnny said. He had wanted Mark to be aware how Haechan’s now a _ghost_ living inside his apartment which was so fucking weird because why would you want someone who had been an asshole towards your friend know about their wellbeing? Haechan’s better off living as a ghost without Mark knowing.

_(“Look I wanted Johnny-hyung to tell you that Hyuck’s turned into a ghost for some reason and is living in my apartment right now is just because I think that you deserved to know it. You’re an important person to him as much as the two of you try to deny it.”)_

_That_ wasn’t what Mark had wanted to hear because Mark was an asshole towards Lee Donghyuck or Haechan his full sun.

Jeno calls Haechan Donghyuck. It shows just how close they were because not everyone knows its his real name, just a nickname Mark had invented one night in 127 when they were supposed to be studying for their upcoming exams and also because Haechan refused to let people call him by his given name for his entertainment.

Mark still remembered how Haechan’s smile, though small yet sincere, when Mark said Haechan was what everyone should call him because of how _awfully_ bright he is as a person. Haechan proceeded to tease him, about how much of a sap he was and how he was missing the fact that Yuta, their friend and a colleague of theirs in 127, was actually just as bright.

And Mark could still remember clearly how those usually bright eyes of Haechan’s turned so dim as he coughed petals on to his carpeted floor.

Mark shook himself from the memory, he stared ahead at the wooden door in front of him. Tangerine Apartment was quite old-fashioned being equipped with key locked wooden doors instead of the password locked doors apartments nowadays had. He recalled vaguely Haechan complaining to him how quite old school the owner of Tangerine Apartment was even though it was a quite pricey apartment.

A smile made its way to his face. Haechan might’ve been complaining then but he would always say something nice in the end. Typical of his full sun.

Haechan was so bright, it killed him to see how the usually bright person dimmed as the days pass by ever since he told the other how he wanted nothing to do with him when he discovered that they were actually soulmates.

Mark dimmed him. He said words he shouldn’t have. He had done things he shouldn’t have done. All because he was blinded by his own love for someone else that he had ignored the person who had always been there for him from the start and loved him for who he was.

Mark was an asshole and he might’ve not know what to do when he first knew about how Haechan’s actually here, a ghost maybe, but then he was _alive_ freeloading inside someone’s apartment.

He thought back of the words Johnny had said when Jeno’s appointment to the two doctors had ended.

_(“Do what you think you must do.”)_

Mark’s grateful of Jeno. Immensely. If it weren’t for the other boy to poke his nose into his ghost freeloader business he wouldn’t have made Mark grow more hope. Mark was so close to giving up Haechan because of the little to nothing progress recovery Haechan’s comatose had made. He was almost giving his Haechan up. And most importantly, with the guilt, grieve and agony he had feed himself with he had almost gave himself up.

Mark took a deep breath and decided to seal his fate.

He knocked the door.

The door opened not a second later by someone with bright pink hair and a sweet smile. “Oh! You must be Mark!” the person’s smile was wide and sunny as he opened the door wider for Mark to enter.

“I’m Jaemin, Jeno’s boyfriend slash soulmate, nice to meet you,” Mark offered him a smile. He knew this was Jeno’s soulmate. How can he not when he saw the two kissing just as Jeno was about to meet him a few days ago?

“Who is it Jaemin?” Speak of the devil, Jeno had just entered the living room area with wide searching eyes and clutching a pen and paper tightly on his chest with one hand while his other hand was warped around thin air.

“Mark-hyung!” The smile on Jeno’s face was miniscule but Mark’s grateful that Jeno didn’t show his discomfort so shrewdly.

Mark gave him a small wave, the tell-tale of nervousness began to crawl on the skin of his arms. “Hey Jeno…”

Okay he’s going to break down any minute now.

“Let’s get you and Hyuckie seated then,” a hand found its way to his back, gently pulling him inside the apartment. Mark turned to find Jaemin smiling knowingly at him, eyes tender with understanding. Jeno’s lucky to have Jaemin as his soulmate.

Mark took off his shoes and lets Jaemin guide him into the living room. Jeno sits on the other couch on the other side of the coffee table, Jaemin sitting in front of his soulmate and Maek sits beside him.

Jaemin, though a stranger to him, had this comforting presence that made Mark relax a bit. Maybe it was Jaemin’s hand that kept a steady hold on his back or the way he pulled himself closer, though not too close for discomfort to rise within him, as a always-there presence. Mark would love to be friends with him someday.

“Hyuck is right beside me,” Jeno said, his left hand was settled on thin air atop his left knee as if a hand was placed there and maybe there was. Maybe there was Haechan’s hand there but Mark can’t see him so he can’t really know. “Hyuck might be invincible to your eyes and ears but he can sense physical touches and sometimes initiates it himself when he feels like it…”

There was a snort coming from beside him but he didn’t pay attention to that, he was trying so hard to look at the thin air beside Jeno as if Haechan would suddenly pop out from it.

Jeno placed the paper and pen on the table just across from where Mark guess Haechan was sitting. “Hyuck can hear you but you can’t hear him so we’ll have to use this as a mediator of sort for the two of you,” he explained. “And uhm,” he worries his bottom lip for a moment, hesitant of his next words.

“Is—is it okay if me and Jaemin stay here? Hyuck doesn’t want us to—”

“It’s alright,” Mark hurriedly replied. Blushing slightly and retracted to himself for a second. He coughed into his hand, fixing a smile on his face. “It’s alright if you guys want to stay here while we talk… I don’t mind.”

Its what Donghyuck deserves.

The smile Jeno sent his way was bigger than the last.

Mark turned his attention back to the air in front of him, resolutely staring ahead. Three deep breathes in, three deep breathes out.

“I’m sorry for what had happened.”

A beat, two, three and five and the next thing Mark knows he was staring in disbelieve as the pen was raised and ink was jotted down on the empty paper. He watched, mesmerized as words were written and then the paper was raised by invincible hands to show him what was written on it.

_You better asshat._

Mark can’t help the wry smile forming on his lips. "Typical of you,” he stated. He swallowed the bile on his throat, the next question he has was far more impactful to him. “Do you... do you hate me?"

The reply was immediate.

_You think?_

Always downright harsh and truthful.

Mark couldn’t let himself drown in the negative feelings those written words had brought upon him like a stab wound. He had other things to focus on right now like the questions he had always wanted to ask. “The answer is so much like you, you're really here huh... uhm, how did you know I'm your soulmate?"

_You said the words written on my arm_

The words written on his skin somehow burned. “Ah... and yet I don’t think you’ve said the words on my wrist.”

_Jeno said so_

Mark smiled drily, an ugly feeling coiling inside his stomach. He was jealous for some reason and it wasn’t fair for him to. It wasn’t when all that time Haechan was jealous he paid no attention to it and even told Haechan to _forget about it._ He knows he shouldn’t but he couldn’t help it.

He dug his nails on his knees, dragging them on the fabric of his jeans just so he can feel something other than the green ugly feeling uncoiling itself like a spring inside of him. He doesn’t deserve it. "You're close with Jeno aren't you?"

_I lived with him for about 2 months now I guess_

Haechan resented him and even through words Mark could see right at him. "You really hate me don't you?"

_You know the answer_

"Its alright... I deserve it...”

Mark took a deep shuddering breath, pursing his lips as he looked away from where he knows Haechan was sitting. Haechan might be invicible to his eyes but he wasn’t to the other. “Did you know Renjun got his soulmate?"

It was embarrassing to ask that but he had to. As humiliating as it was, and in front of two other people too nonetheless, he had to admit his wrong.

_Told you,_ Haechan wrote as simple as that.

His eyes felt hot. He doesn’t know why. He shouldn’t be sad because of this. He doesn’t deserve to not after what Haechan had went through all by himself. Why is he feeling emotional now of all times?

"I know you told me it would happen and it actually did I—” he stopped himself to draw in a quick breath, sniffling like the cry baby he has always been. “I don't know why I was so blinded of him..."

And Mark could literally _feel_ Haechan’s fond smile and eye roll when he saw that one word on the paper. _Delusional._

That was such a Haechan thing to write. Mark remembers those moments where Haechan would roll his eyes at him as he said something extra sassy or extra Haechan with that gentle fond smile spread across his lips and just like that Mark knew Haechan didn’t really mean to say any of those mean things to him.

"I could outright be like that...” he sniffled, trying to blink those tears away from blurring his eyesight. “Y-you actually r-r-really wanted to t-talk to me after all t-this time?"

The reply was written slower than before but Mark didn’t mind it at all. Not one bit. As long as Haechan was talking to him, he was alright with it.

_Jeno convinced me to_

"A good friend he is then...” Mark’s so damn thankful to Jeno. The ugly feeling he had inside of him faded and turned into something much more delightful.

And Mark couldn’t hold in the tears in his eyes, “I-I miss you Haechannie..."

What he said was stupid. He shouldn’t have said it but he can’t help it. Not when Haechan’s being awfully _Haechan_ even in invincible ghost form. Not when he’s here talking to Haechan through paper and all with Haechan being unapologetically _Haechan._

Haechan might resent him but deep down he knows he just _knows_ that Haechan had somewhat forgiven him.

Mark doesn’t deserve him.

"I'm sorry for being such a dick and telling you how much I hate soulmates and fucked everything up with you. I'm just...” He’s rambling now like a baby. He knows but he can’t help it with all the feelings he’s diving himself into. He’s drowning in them, feeling them all at the same time in an overwhelming pace.

“Sorry…" He wiped the tears on his cheeks hastily, looking down at his lap as Jaemin’s hand went up and down his back in a comforting gesture. And when he look up, the reply Haechan had for him set him into another crying fit.

_It's the past_

Oh God Mark just want to _feel_ Haechan once more. Selfish of a request, he knows but he had missed those warm hugs Haechan had always given him. Missed those unexpected kisses Haechan likes to suddenly give him. Missed those times where Haechan would hang himself around him for shits and giggles. Missed the feeling of the other’s body against his. Missed his laugh, smile and heartbeat.

"C-can I hug you?"

And in the dreading silence, Mark hoped.

_I don't know if you can feel me_

Mark threw his head back and laughed. "I could always try and if I can't well I can pretend."

And it seemed like the physical contact request was approved by the two companions because Jeno got up from his seat with an inviting smile on his lips. Slowly and silently Jaemin lead him to where Haechan was, voice barely over a whisper as he directed him.

And _oh._

Mark could definitely feel that tingly sensation of arms warping themselves around his neck. He grasped on the air, gripping on what felt like Haechan’s slim waist as he felt the familiar weight of Haechan’s body against his. He’s crying, wetting what felt like Haechan’s jacket, that one jacket Haechan loves to wear a lot ever since Mark bought it for him after what they call their joint self-developing individual training project. He could faintly smell Haechan’s body fragrance of baby powder, cinnamon and firewood.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” he cried, feeling a weight of something on his shoulder as that place of his shirt began to wet with what felt like tears. His throat felt parched and dry but he didn’t care, he just wanted to let Haechan know just how much he had regretted his actions.

“I’m sorry for what had happened, f-for making you sad, for making you cry, for not being there for you w-when you’re there for me all that t-time, f-for making you feel alone and neglected all this time I’m so sorry…”

Mark could only apologize because that’s the only thing he can do.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Hey... its okay,” Mark startled at the voice he had dearly missed, pulling himself away to look up at the face of a tear-stained face of Haechan’s as gasps were heard coming out of Jeno and Jaemin’s mouth.

Even with tears streaming down his face, his lips were pulled into a sunny smile. So dazzling and genuine. Haechan’s form flickered in front of him, solidifying for one moment and invincible the next. Mark doesn’t know why it was happening and how but it planted hope inside of him, unexpectedly bringing a new batch of fresh tears into his red trimmed eyes.

_Please,_ Mark begged silently as he hold Haechan closer to him. _Let him come back to me._

Haechan cooed sweetly at him, smile widening as he wiped the tears from Mark’s cheeks. "Smile,” he told the other.

“You're more handsome that way."

And Donghyuck’s form shines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_:Don't be such a baby Jeno...:_ with Donghyuck's form slowly fading ever since his talk with Mark, Jeno's constantly checking on him for anything unusual and his way of checking is by staring. As much as Donghyuck enjoyed the attention, it was unnerving.

And Donghyuck doesn’t want to be at the end of Jaemin’s wrath too.

_:You know... if you keep on staring at me that way, Jaemin would be jealous.:_

They're sitting on the couch some days later, Jaemin’s still out with his study group and Jeno’s with him in the living room, flickering through TV programs to see what they want to watch, bored out of their minds.

Donghyuck doesn’t even understand what was happening to him to be honest. He had just hugged Mark and forgave him that day when his form suddenly solified and fucking _shined_ like a newborn sun for a second then he completely disappeared once more from Mark’s eyes. He couldn’t feel Mark’s physical contacts and it made him panick for a second, almost sending Jeno into a whirlwind of panic too while he was at it but it was fortunately a small sudden thing because next thing he knows it, Jaemin was grabbing his wrist and calmed him down.

But then Donghyuck had these weird unexpected moments in which he completely _went through_ things. First was the small stuff like he couldn’t hold chopsticks or press the button but then it went serious when he started to go through the couch when he just wanted to sit on it.

Jeno’s first to notice it.

Of course Jeno always does when does he not?

And it made him panic. He goes back to the apartment earlier than usual, coming back to the apartment from any kind of appointment as soon as it ended and when something freaks Jeno out it freaks Jaemin out.

The soulmate duo went into a swirl of stress and no matter what Donghyuck do he can’t seem to make them feel better.

And the most annoying part out of all of that is that the two of them refuse to address it.

Donghyuck couldn't hold the remote anymore because his hand will only go through the solid matter and it annoyed him more than sadden him. Even Donghyuck's voice has turned into something wispy of a whisper like ﬂuttering leaves, something that would be blown away by the wind if Jeno or Jaemin wasn't paying enough attention to what he said.

Jeno doesn't know if this was an improvement or not however Jaemin thinks it was and well Jeno was terriﬁed of it.

Donghyuck was like deteriorating and Jeno could do nothing about it.

Jeno fears of what was to happen after this.

Donghyuck and Jaemin notices it of course but never addressed the matter nor do they let him ponder much on it, always finding ways to distract him one way or another, which only manage to further irritate him.

Jaemin had confronted about it one day, privately just the two of them in Jeno’s bedroom, and outright told him to not talk about it in front of Donghyuck because _he’s hurting seeing you hurt._ Which was fucking weird because the _hell_ Jeno’s not supposed to be the one who’s hurting but that ghost outside binge watching chick flicks in his small livingroom.

But then when Jeno saw how Donghyuck laughed as he imitates badly this guy from some drama, he didn’t have the heart to bring it up and decided to let it be.

_(…I won't make promises I can’t keep just know that even if I do disappear one day, you’ll be fine alright?:)_

This time, it was Donghyuck’s call.

However, that didn’t mean that he was anticipating the worst outcomes to happen.

_:Can we check that anime program? I want to see what they have.:_

Jeno dutifully ﬂickered the TV program to the one Donghyuck mentioned.

Donghyuck screamed at the ﬁrst sight of a broken hand and Jeno gets them to the next channel quickly. _:Fuck! Tokyo Ghoul! I hate it when they do that! Why the awful timing!?:_

Jeno sheepishly smiled. "What do you want next?"

_:Let's just go see some music show...:_ Donghyuck huffed as he relaxed on the couch, head and shoulders gone into the inside of the couch. Now anything physical just goes through Donghyuck or the other way around, it scares Jeno somewhat.

Jeno ﬂicked them to the channel with a music show, music filling the air of the room as soon as they arrived to it. Donghyuck leaped up to his feet suddenly, legs half gone as he stood where the coffee table was though Jeno could see his feet and a part of his leg from under the table.

_:I know this song!:_ He cheered and moved his body to a dance Jeno had seen him do a few times before. Jeno cheered as he dances and the two of them laugh when he makes a weird move at one point of the song because he doesn't know the choreography but it’s alright, for now, everything's ﬁne. The silent tension in the air is left unacknowledged.

For now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_[Jeno! H-Hyuck—]_

"I'm on my way," Jeno hissed into his phone as he runs, marathoning from the bus stop to his apartment room and cursing away under his breath like a sailor as he does so, not stopping once from his run because _what he was afraid of was really going to happen_ and fuck this if he can’t be there when it does happen.

He pushed the door open violently, storming into the apartment to ﬁnd Jaemin and Donghyuck on the ground in the living room ﬂoor just beside the coffee table and the place of where a cup had broken. Jaemin was on his knees and Donghyuck on his arms trying to get up.

"Hyuck!"

Jeno doesn’t understand what was happening. He couldn’t, how can he when he doesn’t even know why it was happening in the first place. First was sudden loss of physical contact with anything remotely physical in the living world for Donghyuck then his fucking voice where Jaemin and Jeno could neither hear him clearly and the next, by far the worse, was the sudden loss of energy for Donghyuck.

_:J...Je...no...:_

Fuck he can't hear him clearly.

He turned to Jaemin who's clutching his phone on the ground with one hand and scraping up broken shards of the broken glass, layed near Donghyuck’s head, from the floor with his other hand with one of his ﬁnger having a wide and deep cut and blood oozing out of it.

"Jaemin stop scraping!" Jeno went up to his feet and ran off to the bathroom in search of a medical kit, almost hitting his waist on the basin when he ran back to the living room to ﬁnd Donghyuck trying to stop himself from slumping on to the ground by using his arms.

_:J...no...:_

"Fuck I can't hear you!" Jeno doesn't know where the tears came from but he's deﬁnitely crying as he tried to take Jaemin's hand off the ﬂoor so he could tend the injured fingers but Jaemin kept on scooping the stray shards of glass from the floor, small pools of blood dripping on the floor as he continued to avoid the older’s helping hand.

"Stop fucking scooping up those glasses!"

"I don't want him to lie on glass!" Jaemin shot back and took the last small piece of glass a hair's breathe away from Donghyuck's head, tears glistening down his cheeks as he glared up at Jeno.

"I don't want him to go in pain!"

_:G-G...uys...:_

Donghyuck’s arms gave away as he slumped on the ground, a painful moan left his lips.

"Hyuck!" Jeno and Jaemin shouted at the same time and somehow Donghyuck has the balls to laugh.

"I-it's n-not f-funny fucker!" Jeno sniﬄed and tried to show how serious he was with his words but then Donghyuck makes that weird yet funny face whenever Jeno gets mad at him and Jeno couldn't stop the laugh from leaving his lips.

"You guys dont laugh!" Jaemin's sniﬄing and crying rivers of tears but they could see how Jaemin's holding back his own laughter from leaving his mouth.

Jeno Donghyuck exchange grins before turning to Jaemin and makes their worst faces. Jaemin chortles, tears still gliding down his face as he laughed.

_:Y..ou..g..dbye…:_

"You’re not leaving us! You’re not leaving me, Mark, Jaemin or anyone! You’re coming back here Lee Donghyuck so don’t you dare say good bye to us!" Jeno said through his tears, Donghyuck's body flickering in and out of existence, his form slowly fading in small waves.

This was it wasn’t it?

Donghyuck’s leaving. Donghyuck’s leaving.

_Donghyuck’s leaving._

_No._

_Please don’t leave us…_

Donghyuck smiled, the smile that could literally outshine the sun itself. : _Tell... Mark...:_

"Save your breathe idiot, we'll tell everyone to wait for you to come back," Jeno grinned and Donghyuck made a weak nod.

"This is not farewell! Just a temporary leave okay Hyuckie! A see you later!" Donghyuck's laugh rang like bells in a windy day at Jaemin's scolding.

Yet they don’t know if they ever will meet again.

They don’t know of their future.

They don’t know if they’ll meet again some time soon.

But they can hope.

"Dance with me by then okay! You promised to have that show down with me!" Jeno added because he needed to say something to stay them on the positive lane of the situation. Mark had given them the hope, Jaemin had started the prayer and Donghyuck's their candle light of hope.

Unkowningly to all of them Donghyuck’s string thrummed into life, though weak and faint but the red of its color still showed itself to those who were paying attention.

"And cook with me next time! Chenle says you're good at it!" Jaemin’s lips pulled a wobbly smile, something the other two people would have laughed at if it weren’t for the situation.

Donghyuck pouted at the words and Jeno knows that if he were to still be able to speak he would've complained how he has to feed ungrateful mouths and how they don't deserve it.

"You have a lot to do when you get back here..." Donghyuck's ashen colors washed away, silver small stars twinkled as he slowly disappears. And though what Jeno was saying wasn't concrete, something that had a little chance of happening, the three of them hoped. Donghyuck even managed a smile forming on his face. "The l-list," Jeno sniﬄed and willed himself to be strong not for him but for his best friend and soulmate. They needed a believer amongst them. "I-i-is l-long but don't worry, w-we'll wait for you."

Donghyuck grinned as he fades away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Felix suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling him close but not to close to raise suspicion and hissing a question in his ear with a low voice.“What’s gotten on to Jeno lately?”

The person in question was reciting their orders to the cashier in front of him as the two of them went out of their way to search for an empty table in the crowded café.

It was understandably crowded because their final examination week was coming close, students were revising in every given moment and right now him, Felix, his soulmate and YangYang were meeting up for a small study-together session in the only 24 hour café somewhere near campus.

Jaemin initiated this of course and although the three of them were studying different types of materials being in different majors, he needed something to distract himself from… whatever Jeno was going through at the moment.

Jeno wasn’t grieving for Donghyuck, he did cry for about maybe ten minute tops when Donghyuck disappeared but then he was all calm and collected like as if nothing happened, taking the news of Donghyuck’s disappearance awfully too well. And with Donghyuck gone… Jaemin pursed his lips, everything and nothing changed at the same time.

Donghyuck had lived these past few months as a supernatural entity in Jeno’s apartment so there were no physical traces of him was left and yet at the same time there were like how Jaemin kept on cooking an extra portion when the person was no longer there to eat it or how Jaemin kept on opening his mouth to ask Jeno about what Donghyuck was up to this time when Jeno would call him at unexpected times because the person who was responsible for bothering his soulmate at odd hours wasn’t there anymore.

Everything was new once more not because of the sudden appearance of something unfamiliar but the sudden disappearance of something awfully familiar in everything he do, walk, talk and behave. Its weird and as much as Jaemin wants to point out the blatant disappearance of things, _everything,_ he can’t really say it because well… Donghyuck’s a _ghost._ Someone who can’t be seen by the naked eye and yet he and Jeno were either blessed or cursed—Jaemin haven’t really decide about this—with the ability to see Donghyuck just because they could see the red strings of fate. _Just because._

Jaemin doesn’t know what to make of everything that had happened to him because of his voluntary involvement with Jeno and inevitably Donghyuck.

He’s getting out of topic but seriously he doesn’t understand what’s going on either. Jeno wasn’t talking and trying to find any clues by reaching out to the other end of their soul bond was deemed futile because he can’t find _anything._

“I don’t know,” Jaemin whispered back and gave his soulmate a sideway glance as he turned to look for an empty table once more.

Felix wasn’t dropping the subject, eyes narrowing and looking at him closely like an eagle trying to find its prey in the sea from miles away. “You’re not saying something,” he stated, oddly perceptive for someone who hadn’t hanged out a lot with Jaemin.

Jaemin grimaced. Well, Donghyuck wasn’t something he or Jeno had ever talked about to anyone else other than each other.

“Okay, something might’ve happened,” Jaemin relented just as his eyes caught a movement from the table on one corner of the café. He grabbed Felix’s arm and dragged him to the spot where four students were standing up and packing their bags.

“But since _something_ happened there’s gotta be a reaction right? Like how people get drunk when they drink too much alcohol or how someone gets high and so out of it when they snort cocaine or some drug shit,” he hurriedly explained as he drag Felix along with him.

Felix frowned, “uh yeah? What about it?”

“That’s the _thing!_ ” Jaemin ran his other hand through his hair, tugging on the brown strands in irritation as his voice went just a pitch higher. When he noticed how he caught some of the visitors attention, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “I don’t see any _reaction from Jeno!_ ”

Felix’s frown deepened as they sat on the now empty seats of the used table. “What do you mean you got no reaction from Jeno?”

A waitress approached them, excusing herself as she cleared the dirty cups and tissues from the table. Jaemin waited impatiently for her to finish, clicking his tongue and biting the inside of his cheek after he dumped his bag unceremoniously on an empty seat beside him.

When the waitress was finally done with her job, he thanked her hurriedly and talked as soon as she was out of earshot. “There was no reaction from Jeno! Its like… how to say this, not like he acted as if nothing had happened but, argh,” he groaned, thumping his head against the wooden table in mild frustration.

Felix continued to watch him unamused. “Like _what_ exactly then?”

“Like he wasn’t _grieving_ about it,” Jaemin ran a hand over his face as his facial features for a scowl.

Felix furrowed his eyebrows. “ _Grieving_?” he repeated then his eyes widened as if he was washed over with some sort of grim realisation. “Wait Jaemin, did someone…?” He let his voice trail away and Jaemin made the mistake of catching his eyes.

“Drinks are here!”

A tray containing three drinks was placed on the table loudly as someone slide on the seat beside Jaemin, pushing down Jaemin’s bag on the floor as he does so.

Jaemin straightened on his seat, startled by the sudden appearance of his soulmate. “J-Jeno!” his voice was pitched too high and his act of acting normal was abysmal. Felix wants to facepalm so bad then and there.

“Th-thanks!” Jaemin snatched one of the two cups containing a very dark watery substance he calls his coffee. He slurped too loud, too quick, he choked on his own drink just a second later.

“Careful Jaemin-ah…” Jeno pat his soulmate’s back, trying to ease Jaemin’s coughing and Felix, with a schooled face and controlled energy, reached for the only cappuccino drink on the tray.

Jeno was handing Jaemin his water bottle, lightly scolding his soulmate as he took the other’s drink from his hands and place it on the table. Jeno threw Felix an exasperated smile to which the best friend returned in kind before he goes back to tending the coughing soulmate of his.

When Jaemin’s eyes caught Felix’s however, his eyes hardened as he gave the other a pointed look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**_Felix [22:05]_ **

_You have to explain yourself_

**_Jaemin [22:06]_ **

_Jeno is still right beside me asshole_

_And even if I want to talk about it I can’t_

**_Felix [22:07]_ **

_Oh fuck you wtf are you two hiding from me_

**_Jaemin [22:08]_ **

_That’s the thing its not up to us to decide_

**_Felix [22:09]_ **

_The hell you mean by that_

**_Jaemin [22:10]_ **

_Its someone else’s_

**_Felix [22:10]_ **

_Fuck_

**_Jaemin [22:11]_ **

_I promise that we’re not doing anything illegal_

_Its just_

_Complicated_

**_Felix [22:12]_ **

_…fine_

_Just take care of him for me alright?_

**_Jaemin [22:14]_ **

_Always_

_But uhm Felix_

**_Felix [22:17]_ **

_Yeah?_

**_Jaemin [22:18]_ **

_I honestly dk what to do_

_Jeno’s not speaking_

_He’s not doing anything_

_It worries me_

**_Felix [22:21]_ **

_Just be there for him_

_Clear?_

**_Jaemin [22:23]_ **

_Crystal_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Can’t believe Hyun-ah wants to see you again,” Jeno said as arms warped around his body and burying his face on to Jaemin’s shirt, successful in momentarily distracting Jaemin for his nose was tickling Jaemin’s side. “Why is it that she loves you more than me?”

He’s whining and it might be cute and all but Jaemin really needs to study those anatomy notes of his for his lab examination first thing next Monday so he did what he likes to do whenever Jeno bothers him at unwanted times, ignore.

“Listen to me Jaeminie,” Jeno buries his face further into Jaemin’s side, going as far as lifting the other’s shirt up to press his face on the other’s skin. “Don’t ignore me,” he started to smack loud and wet kisses on the exposed skin.

“Jeno! I need to study for— _oh my God!_ ” Jaemin squealed, dropping his flashcards on to the floor as he pushed himself away from Jeno right when Jeno decided it was alright for him to lick his studying boyfriend’s skin. “Don’t get near me!” he glared as he grabbed a pillow and uses it as a shield.

There was mischeive dancing inside those beautiful starry eyes of Jeno’s and Jaemin was too absorbed into them, realizing too late that Jeno was advancing towards him. “Oh really?”

“Step back!” Jaemin tried his best to look intimidating but that shit eating grin on Jeno’s face withered his will to study.

Jeno pounced on him and the next few minutes they were fighting for pillows using them as weapons. Jaemin laughed as he pushed Jeno down, locking the older’s arms with his and trapping him under him. Jeno fake cried for help, giggling in between breathes and Jaemin felt his heart beat faster and his stomach fluttering as he watched the other being in a state of utter bliss.

“I love you,” he smiled. He pushed his face forward to stare closely at Jeno’s surprised face. He chuckled under his breath, firmly pressing his lips against the older’s for a quick peck. He sighed as he slowly pull away to press their foreheads together, happiness and bliss flowing in his veins. “I love you Jeno-ya,” he repeated, fluttering his eyes close and relaxing his hold on the other.

“I love you,” their soulbond sung, elation washing over him in waves.

Jaemin was rewarded with the wide famous eye smile of his soulmate’s when he opened his eyes. “I love you Jaemin-ah.”

Jaemin’s eyes widened as Jeno grinned cheekily, the older’s arms were out of his grip when he was taken aback by the declaration of love from the other and in the next second, with a grunt, he found himself under Jeno, their position have merely exchanged.

Jaemin snorted and rolled his eyes as Jeno laughed, bending down to give butterfly kisses down his neck, collarbone and shoulder. Jaemin hummed, flitting his fingers gently through Jeno’s hair, his body thrumming with warmth of their pressed bodies and overwhelming emotions.

“Thank you,” Jeno went up to place a gentle kiss on his cheek, right where his words were tattoed. “For everything Jaeminnie, if it weren’t for you… I wouldn’t know what I’d do.”

Jaemin’s cheeks felt warm, Jeno’s words and actions have always had an effect on him. “Not all credits goes to me Jeno-ya,” he told the other with a smile as he cupped Jeno’s face with his hands. “You were brave to push yourself through your hardships to get here, I was only pushing your and directing you from the sidelines.”

“You’re always beside me,” Jeno smiled, placing his hand on Jaemin’s hand and kissing the inside of his palm. “And after what had happened with Donghyuck… you’ve always stayed beside me. Thank you for that and everything else you’ve done for me.”

Jaemin’s face softened, thumbing Jeno’s cheeks gently, drawin small circles on the soft skin. “I was worried...” his eyes caught the others and he saw galaxies inside the starry space of the older’s eyes. He lost himself in them for a moment, falling in love all over again. “You weren’t grieving for Hyuckie… I thought- I thought something happened.”

“I was only coming in terms with Hyuck’s disappearance, I want to move on from it quickly because I know Hyuck wouldn’t want me moping about it,” Jeno explained. He leaned forward to press a comforting kiss on Jaemin’s cheeks. “I’m sorry I worried you…”

“It’s okay to be sad about it you know…” Jaemin said slowly. “It’s a normal reaction. It’s okay to be sad, I’ll be here for you at those times too.”

“I know,” Jeno nodded his head with a smile. “I know you will but I’m not sad. I mean I was sad but then I just remembered how Hyuck grinned at his last moment with us and it just… I felt relieved,” his eyes softened. “I felt relieved that he left with great memories with us.”

Jaemin smiled, raising his head slightly to press their lips together.

“How is… How is Mark?” Jaemin asked.

Jeno hummed, rolling over to his side and pulling Jaemin by his waist to rest his soulmate on top of him. Jaemin slide into the position comfortably, circling his arms around the older’s neck as his ear pressed on Jeno’s chest, hearing and feeling the other’s heartbeat closely.

“He’s sad that Hyuck’s gone but he’s hanging in there,” Jeno said. “We should visit him someday.”

“Mhm and Hyuck too,” Jaemin piped up.

Jeno grinned, pulling him up to bring their lips together. Jaemin pushed forward, bringing his arms on either side of Jeno’s head as he slide his tongue into Jeno’s mouth and tangle their tongues together.

Jeno released soft moans into his mouth, sending Jaemin further into the spiral of lust. Jeno’s fingers gently tugged into his hair as he tasted each and every crevice of the other’s mouth, leaving burning trails behind.

Jeno pressed his body up against Jaemin’s while moaning the younger’s name softly. Jaemin pulled away reluctantly, pecking Jeno’s lips and caressing the older’s side with one hand. “You know… as much as I like this I can’t get carried away, anatomy is waiting for me.”

Jeno chuckled softly, nodding his head. “And so is my thermodynamics…” he agreed.

Jaemin hated ending their heated sessions together but if he really wanted to pass anatomy he was to learn it like his life depended on it.

“However…” there was that mischevious glint in Jeno’s eyes as he pushed Jaemin to roll over so Jeno was on top of him. “My love for you can’t wait, your love for me can’t wait either so lets…” he bent down, lips ghosting Jaemin’s ear. “Continue this and take it to another level.”

Jaemin’s lips slide into a smirk, bringing his arms up to warp them around Jeno’s neck. He pressed their bodies together, the burning sultry lust was beginning to take over him. “Oh…? Look at you being a smooth talker now and was that,” he paused for theatrical effect as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes gaining a mischevious glean. “An invitation for xxx?”

Jeno snorted, eyes turned soft as he rolled them. “Please stop copying Hyuck,” he stated.

Jaemin giggled, bringing the older closer. “I love you,” he breathed out as they kissed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno watched as the light danced in Jaemin’s eyes under the rays of sunshine beaming down at them from the café’s window, enamoring the way it danced and highlighted his soulmate’s features beautifully.

“Stop looking at me like that, you’ll only fall harder for me,” And even with his chapped lips, Jeno can’t find fault in those smirking lips of his soulmate’s.

“I don’t mind falling if its because of you,” Jeno smiled as he intertwined their fingers together and bringing them up to press light kisses on Jaemin’s knuckles. A warm feeling spreading inside his chest when he saw how Jaemin’s cheeks turned into the same color as his hair. He loves how much of an affect he has on his soulmate.

“Say Jaemin… why don’t you move in with me? You practically live in my apartment ever since we met,” Jeno said, absent-mindedly brushing his thumb over Jaemin’s knuckles.

“I honestly haven’t think about it,” Jaemin hummed. He raised his head up slightly to look at the nest on top of the tree standing just beside the sidewalk outside, giving Jeno a new and refined angle of his beauty. “Maybe when the next semester begins?” he suggested, turning to gaze at Jeno with a wide grin on his face. “Hwall would love to have me out of the dorm soon so his boyfriend could come into the room freely.”

Jeno’s heard of Hwall. He’s Jaemin’s roommate, seatmate, study groupmate and friend whom he had stuck together with ever since their first year of university. Its endearing how Jaemin’s eyes brightens and sparkle when he talks about his friends especially those closest to him.

Jeno leaned into the space between them, placing a kiss on Jaemin’s cheek. “I don’t mind… I don’t mind you moving anytime as long as you want to.”

“I want to move in with you,” Jaemin squeezed their tangled hands. “The dorm’s getting stuffy with Hwall’s boyfriend’s stuff all over the place.”

“Then we’ll make preparations as soon as this is over,” Jeno decided and the two soulmate share a smile.

Jeno’s eyes landed on their half finished drinks on the table. His smile slip from his face, a frown taking its place. “Just how long does it take for the others to come?”

Jeno sighed as he placed his head on Jaemin’s shoulder. Jaemin placed an arm around Jeno middle, tucking his soulmate closely and comfortable on to his side. He kissed Jeno’s jaw reassuringly. “I’m sure they’re on their way. Besides… I heard they’re taking Jisung with them too.”

Jeno wrinkled his nose as he makes a face. “Jisung? Why are they taking Jisung here too? What does he have to do with any of this?”

Jaemin shrugged his shoulders, almost colliding Jeno’s head with his cheek at the movement. “I don’t know baby but I guess Jisung has an important role in this whole thing too.” He uses his other hand to reach over and grab his iced Americano drink. “But hey, look on the bright side, they’re not the only ones who has a secret.”

“Felix is going to kill me for not confiding to him about this first,” Jeno moaned, raising his head up slightly to take a sip of Jaemin’s drink. Americano with four extra shots, no water just ice was a deathly drink to most people but not to Jaemin and Jeno had already begun to adapt to it too. It was exhilarating as it was frightening because anyone would only be a lunatic to have such a deathly drink.

At least his soulmate has minimixed its intake from six cups a day to only two or one in a day.

“I’ll be there to prevent that from happening baby,” Jaemin flashed his adorable toothy grin with a flirtly wink.

Jeno smiled exasperatedly, he’s dating such a flirt. “Thanks babe, I know I can count on you.”

“Did we made you guys wait long enough?” A new voice piped up and the twin shit eating grin from two cheeky soulmates greeted them just a little to their side.

“You did you little em—” Jeno stopped midway his sentence as he stared wide eyed at the connected string of Jisung’s and Chenle’s red string. He and Jaemin exchanged wide eye glances then doing another round of double take at the sight of the two youngest’s connected string.

“Surprised?” Jisung snarked, his shit eating widening, threatening to rip his face into two. “Huh Chenle was right… He had always suspected Jeno-hyung to have the ability of seeing the red strings of fate, I just didn’t know you had it too Nana-hyung.”

“Nana-hyung?” Jeno shot his soulmate a questioning look.

“I just got the ability on my first year of university,” Jaemin said quickly as if it was a knee-jerk reaction. Jeno’s eyes widened because that was just around the same year his grandpa had died.

“And don’t call me that,” Jaemin groaned. “You know how its just a stupid nickname the girls of the neighborhood made for shits and giggles.”

“Nana,” Jeno spoke up. A smile slowly form by his lips as he looked at his soulmate. “I like it… Can I call you that?”

Jaemin’s cheeks blazed as he sputtered incoherently.

Chenle and Jisung laughed, sliding into the seats just opposite of them. “I should’ve recorded this, look at the number one flirt of SNU blushing and speaking so _eloquently_ right in front of me!” Chenle grinned widely as he snatched Jaemin’s drink from the owner’s hand. “Man… this is gold,” he sighed dreamily as he drank the drink only to cough when he swallowed it.

Jeno grimaced while Jaemin laughed and Jisung patting Chenle’s back comfortingly. He should’ve warned the younger about what kind of death drink Jaemin loves to drink…

“I didn’t think I would’ve guessed the two of you were soulmates though,” Jeno spoke up just in case Jaemin decided to gloat at Chenle how karma was a bitch because he really needs to have civil conversations after doing an exam after an exam for five whole days this week.

“But I guess that explains a few things…” he pat his chin thoughtfully, giving the decorations scattered on the wall a brief glance before he looked back at the pair in front of him. “Like how Chenle never visited me at my whole stay in the new apartment.”

“Well…” Chenle wheezed out the last gasp of Americano taste from his system, eyes watery as he looked up at Jeno. “I was busy with my university stuff sure but you know how busy a first year is, we’re not as busy as the second, third and fourth years.”

“We were roommates too way before you got into university,” Jeno quirked a smile. “Huh I guess I just didn’t saw it coming.”

“We all know I would be accepted in SNU so I moved there way before the second half of twelve grade ended,” Chenle shrugged and look just how much of a bragger this confident student is. “I got into this apartment but then I felt a bit lonely so I made this ad of sort in SNS, you happened to bump into it hyung and well, as they say,” the corner of his lips lifted into a smirk as he waved Jaemin’s drink in the air. Such theatrics.

“The rest is history.”

Jaemin and Jisung rolled their eyes in synchronization.

Jeno snorted. “So the two of you being soulmates… since when did you guys know about that?”

“Since we were toddlers,” Chenle sighed. “Our tale’s like those childhood fanfictions but in our case we got a happy ending by being platonic soulmates,” he grinned as he gave Jisung a wink. Jisung rolled his eyes in reply. “We tried the dating thing to be honest and it didn’t turn out as we hoped it to be so here we are.”

Jeno’s going to get a headache and he doesn’t want to go through that this early in the morning.

“Well… where’s Renjun and Mark-hyung?”

“Renjun-ge’s got hold up in the line,” Jisung used his finger to point at the long line. “And well Mark-hyung said he got caught up on something and has to deal with it for a bit.”

Jeno nodded slowly. He doesn’t understand completely what had happened between Renjun and Mark but they seem to have some sort of history and well its not his to pry but as long as they try to get along and not get too awkward towards each other that’s alright.

“This is exciting,” Chenle giggled as he leaned forward on his seat, eyes lighting up with excitement. “Aside from whatever we’re going to talk about, it feels like we’re going to form some sort of subunit.”

Jisung groaned, long and loud. “Chenle,” he drawled out the older’s syllables in an ephasised exasperation. “This is not an NCT meeting.”

“But hey! It could be!” Chenle insisted and it seemed like the grin on his face was never going to disappear. “I mean we already got around nineteen people in the team since you joined last week and I mean _sure_ we’re all great dancers but we need more youth in the team! Most of the guys are old!”

“Isn’t Xiaojun-hyung, YangYang-hyung, Hendrey-hyung and Lucas-hyung considered as youth?” Jisung asked.

Jeno and Jaemin shared a glance, not understanding completely what the two were talking about.

“I mean yeaaah they do but not really the kind of youth group I was hoping for besides they’re already been taken in by Kun-ge and they’re already forming a whole new subunit together and Ten-hyung is in it because Ten-hyung is Ten-hyung,” Chenle explained with a lazy roll of his eyes as if what he said was something so obvious.  “But anyways we got to form a new subunit a subunit of youth and energy and youngsters and like the ultimate over the top one!”

Jisung gaped at Chenle. “Are you trying to recruit Jaemin-hyung _and_ Jeno-hyung?”

“What else!?” Chenle threw his hands in the air, shit eating grin wide on his face. “And with the form of this subunit, me, you, Jeno-hyung, Jaemin-hyung, Renjun-ge, Mark-hyung and Haechan-hyung can be the superior unit of all NCT!”

“You do realize we have to wait until Haechan-hyung wakes up first right before making this group?” Jisung pointed out.

“And the approval of ours before we join the group,” Jaemin piped up as he sipped on his drink.

A tray of drinks thumped against the wooden table of theirs, catching them by surprise. The sight of a flat-faced Renjun greeted their sight. “And the approval of the whole dance troupe before you go and spurt this group up?” he quipped.

Chenle didn’t falter however, aiming his finger guns at his boyfriend with a wink. “You got it! But don’t worry ge! I will be mastermind of all of this!”

Renjun sighed as he slid on the seat next to Jisung just as a disheveled Mark came springing up to their table, gasping for air as if he had ran a marathon. Five pairs of eyes landed on his figure to which the older grimaced at.

“S-sorry for being late…”

Eyes wide and questioning, “what did I miss?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_"Don’t give up yet” Someone said, someone with black hair, dark eyes and pale skin, someone awfully resembling Jeno. “Take my hand.”_

_Donghyuck doesn’t mind it however, he glanced behind his shoulder, looking at the vast land of sand dunes. He had been walking in the desert for as long as he remembered right after the life he had as a ghost. He had went through a few oasis but had never felt happy whenever he tried to go to them as if something else was telling him that it wasn’t the place he belonged._

_He had walked endlessly, greeted many faceless people and went through a few disasters along the way and here he was just as he was about to feel defeated this Jeno-yet-not-Jeno came._

_He took the other’s hand and Jeno pulled him up._

_“Let’s go,” someone else said and on his other side he found Jaemin, wide smiles, bright eyes and sunny skin._

_He took Jaemin’s offered hand and the two pulled him forward, leading him up on to a large sand dune where he can vaguely see Mark waving and smiling at him._

Donghyuck slowly ﬂuttered his eyes open. He was greeted by the sight of the wide expanse of white cieling above him.

Was that those kind of dreams where whenever he closes his eyes he would always arrive in some kind of new surrounding? Like those RPG games? First was his old apartment place now this?

"That's just..." he stops talking, noticing how his voice sounded so hoarse and raspy as if he had rarely used it but that’s impossible because he's so talkative. Why does it feel sore and dry then? Mark, Jeno and Jaemin says so too so why...?

He slowly sat up, his movement slow and careful because his limbs felt heavy like lead. His eyes taking in the surroundings.

Then it hit him as he stared at the machine next to him, his reﬂection staring right back at him from the glass.

"I'm... back?" He grinned, looking at the table beside him where there are ﬂowers and a few things placed. He recognized Mark's android phone, Jaemin's jacket thrown haphazardly on the wooden table and Jeno's shoujo manga he once let Donghyuck borrow.

There were stickers on the stools surrounding the bed, Donghyuck mused, and could only guess who it was who did it. A white shawl was placed on the foot of the bed and he pulled it to see who it belonged to. _Lucas_ was sewn neatly on one of the shawl and he can't believe that he actually know what was going on.

The sound of something metal fell caught his attention. His dark eyes caught the sight of car keys on the ground. He had to put a little bit of more strength than what he felt was necessary just to retrieve them. They were Renjun's keys, he realizes when he took it from the ground and placed it on the table.

He looked at the table once more, his attention was taken by the card inside the boquet of flowers neatly placed in the vase. He leaned over and gingerly took the card.

_‘From: Jisung’_ it wrote.

That kid living on the same apartment as Jeno who thinks that Jeno was out of his goddamn mind when he found Jeno talking to thin air?

Donghyuck snickered.

Its weird how everyone got together but... it's nice, Donghyuck smiled as he placed the card on the place where he had found it.

There was a hushed conversation coming from outside the door, heading closer and closer and Donghyuck’s ears tingled at the familiar voices. He warpped Lucas's shawl around his shoulders and laid back down on the bed, pretending to go back to being in a state of comatose.

"I still can't believe that Haechanie turned into a ghost," Chenle’s voice streamed into the room as the creak of the door opening and footsteps shuffling inside the room was heard. "Renjun has a hard time believing it too."

"We told you its real," Jaemin whined, typical reaction coming from him. "And Mark saw it all too right Mark?"

"Aha..." Mark agreed and then he snickered. "I just can't believe Jeno told Hyuck-ah off when Jisung was around..."

"I legit thought he was crazy," Jisung piped and wasn't that helpful? Donghyuck had to bite back the snicker he was about to emit from his lips.

“Felix is going to kill me if he knows that you guys knows about this way before him,” Jeno amended with a moan and giggles were heard but everyone knows he was exaggerating because Felix was more likely to kill someone by making their ears bleed with how much he was complaining than anything.

"Who put my shawl around Haechanie?" Lucas asked and his voice went closer. "Oh look he looks so cute! Sleeping so peacefully!"

"Mark your phone's here!" Renjun called out and Mark let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness... I thought I lost it."

"It's better gone then," Jeno the sneaky bastard said and Donghyuck bet a thousand bucks that he's got this shit eating grin right now. "With how you can't take care of him, its better off gone."

"Why you—"

"This is the hospital guys keep it down," Jaemin said over their voices and a hand held Donghyuck's. Rough and big. Ah... this is Jaemin's hand.

"You know how those two have brains the size of balls," Renjun chuckled and there was a clapping noise. Probably someone high ﬁved Renjun, well Donghyuck would be making those two have a three way high ﬁve because he agrees with them too.

"Jisung!" Mark hissed as another hand grasped Donghyuck’s other hand. Donghyuck knew just by the feeling of the warm hand in his that it was Mark’s hand. "You're not supposed to feed ﬁre to the devil!"

"Control the child Jaeminie," Jeno said and Donghyuck feels Jaemin slip his hand out of his as a new hand grasped his and took Jaemin's place. "He came from your embryo," Jeno intoned gravely as if birthing Jisung was a commited sin.

Chenle's low laugh of a snort which resembled so much to an actual dolphin was heard as Lucas's voice ﬂowed into the conversation, "Chenle you're no better."

Donghyuck can't believe this since when were these seven people became so close to each other? Donghyuck truly missed episodes of character development.

A thumb brushes his hand. "I hope he wakes up soon..."

"But ﬁnals week is starting next week hyung, I don't think it's a good idea for Donghyuck to wake up by then, he'll get stressed just like Jaemin here."

"It's hyung for you fetus," Jaemin retorted but Donghyuck wasn't concentrating on their conversation anymore. There was only one thought running on his mind right now.

Finals week...

Finals week...

_Finals week..._

Wait... a whole year has passed!?

"I miss a year of school!?"

Seven pair of eyes stared widely at him and Donghuck sunk himself into the bed. He forgot he was supposed to act as if he’s in a comatose but uhm well whoops.

At the next second all hell broke loose.

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who are wondering about my other stories put on hold... well dear readers I am truly sorry but you have to wait because I am currently editing them and thinking of just putting them into a one long oneshot just like this one. 
> 
> Anyways...
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one! Have a nice day!


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